Mello of Love
by xxbeyondxbirthdayxx
Summary: (Based on reality TV shows Rock of Love with Bret Michaels) The prize: Rock charts top accustomed, biggest venues live performer, million dollars earning frontman of Mind Pollution, the band that has fans wetting themselves for the last decade: Mello. The contestants for his love: 19 guys and a Matt. It's reality TV, and it's about to come more real than they expected...
1. Chapter 1

_**Note:** This fic kept on bugging me, preventing me from writing anything else, so I decided to get rid of it once and for all. It was planned for a long time now and shouldn't have come before TSFMS was complete but at least I'm posting something XD_

_This fic is based on the reality TV shows Rock of Love with Bret Michaels, and Daisy of Love with Daisy Delahoya. If you don't know what they are, I suggest that you at least check it out on Wikipedia because it may help you get the fic._  
_The concept is pretty simple: a rockstar, a dating show, and the rockstar is supposedly doing it to find his true love among 20 contestants, all of this in front of the cameras. The contestants live in a mansion all together, they have no contact with the public during the time they spend there, and they get eliminated little by little until there is only one._  
_I tweaked things slightly but overall things are the same as in those shows cited above. The fic runs over 15 days._

_The fic itself being quite predictable since it's a Mello x Matt fic and that one is the rockstar and the other has to end with him at some point (because otherwise I wouldn't be writing it, obviously), the main thing is writing it so although you know start and finish, I can keep you entertained in between, and give depth to the characters as well as exposing the progression in behaviour and things that are not quite what they seem, insisting on the fact that it's not all black or white. I also wanted a very indecisive Matt in here, very paradoxical in his actions (I'm explaining it now because he will seem really inconsistent in the first chapters).  
And it's also a VERY good excuse for sexy moments and lemoooooons :D_

_I'll post one chapter a day until completed, the fic being already ahead of a good amount of chapters._

_**And to complete this freakingly long AN, if you want to stay updated on my writing in general and the progression with this fic in particular, join my Facebook page, link on my profile :)**_

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Impatience was an understatement for the condition the line of more-than-handsome boys - or at least most of them were – was in: whispers, giggles, fiddling, peering up the dark alley as the sun had already set on Hollywood, plunging the mansion in a night so thick that the Venetian style lampshades punctuating the road could hardly let them see anything past a few feet away.  
So it became all the more blinding when the roar of an engine resounded, quickly covered by the clamour of male voices approving the arrival, and that spotlights lit up the place as in daylight, following the tracks of a lean frame straddling a black Honda, the machine's array matching the leather attire fitted on the rider. Soon, a rock tune started playing, just as both the newcomer and the boys could be framed together on screen, marking the beginning of the show's premiere.

The motorcycle slid down to the mansion, coming to a halt right in front of the court. Half of it observed in silence, excitement painted on their faces, the rest cheering and howling as the man removed his helmet, silencing everyone for good when his eyes roamed from left to right over the line.

"Welcome babes," he said in a sufficient tone, "I'll see you later, make yourself at home."  
And with this, the helmet found its right place again and the man was gone, circling around the mansion to reach his private backdoor and his apartments.

"He's so sexy!" a chestnut haired boy cooed, soon pushed aside by a black haired contestant all dressed in gothic style: "I think he knows it, dumbass!"  
The boy sent him an angry look, checking him out from head to toes with a disgusted hiss.  
"But go ahead, throw yourself at him! I'm sure he's not bored at all with easy little sluts..." the goth guy chuckled, walking past the other, amused by his expression.  
"Are you calling me a slut?" the chestnut haired boy asked, indignation in his voice.  
"Forget it sweetie, he's just the kind that will play hard to get and will get nothing at all." another competitor huffed, walking away after he had picked up his suitcase, pushing the chestnut haired boy in front of him toward the entrance, and entering the mansion that was slowly filling with all the others.

**DAY ONE – 20 contestants / 5 to be eliminated**

The mansion quickly became a mess as the contestants chose their rooms, sometimes fighting for the best beds and trying to figure out who they wanted to share the next weeks with. Some were careful, piling neatly folded clothes on the shelves or hanging them on racks, others left their suitcases unattended on their bed, barely giving a second look at the place that would probably see very few hours of sleep in the following days to throw a party in the living room, eager to celebrate their presence in the show.

A little more than one hour had passed and some of the boys were already pretty alcoholized in the main room, drinks in hand, chatting loudly or jumping around, while others took care of their look in the bathroom in prevision of the star's proper introduction, which could happen any time now. Every noise had the boys starting but it was only forty minutes later that the door separating the corridor from the bachelor's private apartments, which they could see from the main room, opened, revealing the one that would be the link between them and their coveted prize: Danny, all at once bodyguard, confidant, nurse and assistant of the overly famous, rock charts top accustomed, biggest venues live performer, million dollars earning singer and guitarist of Mind Pollution, the band that has fans wetting themselves for the last decade: Mello.

Danny didn't want to be here. He didn't have a choice, being under contract with Mello, and said contract stating that wherever Mello signed, he signed too, but he knew that as much as he would love to be anywhere else than here right now, even without contract he'd probably still be here, because this was all a bad idea and Mello would soon be in a mess and need him, as usual. Mello didn't bring trouble. He was trouble itself. The shitstorm kind of trouble. And Danny had lost count on how many times he had saved his ass from tricky situations with groupies, parties turned disasters and various fuck-ups that would have led straight to lawsuits, if it wasn't for the tall bodyguard diplomacy skills.

A very, very bad idea, to accept to star in a dating show with twenty greedy young males attracted to Mello like moths to a flame, and the ones that wouldn't end up properly burnt may just want to either kill themselves or murder the musician, who wasn't exactly known for being careful of others' feelings or even acknowledging that others had feelings to begin with...

It was the first show of the genre to star a gay bachelor, and weeks prior to the premiere, it had been all over the newspapers. The audience rate tonight was going through the roof and the production was rubbing their hands, seeing that coupling something that was a sensitive topic, with all the states passing laws for gay marriage lately, to one of the most controverted rockstars was the insurance to score big at every broadcast.

Danny surveyed the little crowd quickly, one look telling him right away who would be the ones whose strategy was to bribe him, thinking that the right hand man was a quicker laissez-passer to Mello's heart. Hell, Mello probably didn't have one, and if he had, the way was tricky enough that no one had found it until now anyway.  
The looks he got from a handful of boys spoke for themselves: some frankly smiled to him, some winked, some played shy with languish eyes, and he wished he was allowed to give them a few hints because that would lead them nowhere, not with him, not with Mello. But he wasn't allowed further contact with any of them besides introducing the rockstar, announcing events or giving directions, so he kept silent, hoping for the best, knowing they would probably get the worst.

"Boys." he simply said for attention, although most eyes were on him already.  
The voices stopped, only the sound of a CD playing preventing the room to be dead silent all of a sudden. Danny didn't have time to inhale, readying himself to introduce Mello, that he was pushed aside by a graceful hand.  
"Cut up the talking Danny, they're starving, can't you see that?"

Long blonde hair swayed as predatory blues fell on the boys, the rockstar finally appearing in full view, black leather hugging his legs like a second skin, heavy boots and a grey tee-shirt with the logo of his band completing the attire, and looking away from his assistant to the ones he was ready to use and abuse to his likings. If one could make it till the end, then he'd have a winner. Not that he was serious about this dating thing, he didn't plan on finding love on a show, or anywhere else, but the prospect of having twenty guys at his feet and doing as he pleased with them was appealing enough to sign for the show.  
That was going to be fun. He didn't need the extra exposure, but although Danny as well as his band's manager had tried to dissuade him to appear on a reality TV program, stating that his image could suffer from it, he just didn't give a shit. He had done everything he wanted until now and fans had never stopped following so why would it change now? He wasn't just anyone, he was Mello. The fans would worship the show just like everything he had given them until now.

"Time for your eye candy guys!" Mello yelled, grabbing himself a bottle of Jack Daniels and joining the little gathering. Danny sighed, knowing very well that the bottle wouldn't stay full very long, and that every gulp would bring Mello closer to being an asshole. Well, a total one, actually, since he was already half of one when he was sober. Good thing was, Mello never drank to oblivion or sickness, just enough to be a sarcasm-happy drunk. There wasn't a time when the rocker wasn't in control of himself, he didn't do drugs, sex tapes or shit like that, he might say he didn't care for his public image, but still, he always showed only what he intended to, nothing less, nothing more. He respected himself enough not to be seen in a shameful state. Better said, he was too full of himself for that. But his recklessness often played against that, unfortunately for Danny. Just like now. Appearing in a reality TV show wasn't exactly Danny's idea of self-respect, and really, Mello should have known better.

"Keep your distances sweeties, I never said you could touch."  
Mello plopped himself in a fuzzy armchair, resting his feet on the coffee table, gesturing the boys to gather in the couches and other armchairs around him. Some sat on the floor at his feet, trying to get closer, but none of them dared to touch although they were itching to, Mello was way too intimidating for that.

The musician took a few gulps and decided to start getting to know his court one by one, he would have to do the talking sometimes for the show's purposes, as he was instructed to. The few rules he had agreed on were simple: talk to them, ask questions, build rivalries and give them a little hope sometimes. He would have so much fun raising them one against the other, and to think he could fuck any of them in his private apartments as a bonus...

"You." he simply pointed his chin briefly at a brown haired boy full of muscles.  
"I'm Jake, nice to meet you Mello." the latter replied, standing up and rolling his muscles slightly in the process, trying to impress.  
"Yeah yeah. Damn, you're so broad you count as two of you at least." Mello chuckled, a nasty smirk appearing on his lips as the other swelled with pride and offered him his biceps to touch, flexing it. "Never said I liked it." the singer grimaced, shooing him away with a gesture of the hand.  
The cold shower sent the other back to his seat under the others' laughters.  
"Too much meat, and not in the right place... Oh, I forgot to mention, five of you are going back home tonight. You're the first one." Mello said, glancing at Jake before bringing his attention to the gothic guy.

"We both like black, but that's all we're gonna have in common I'm afraid. You can pack too Cruella."  
The chestnut haired boy laughed harder than the rest at this demise, bringing attention to himself unwillingly.

"What do we have here?" Mello turned his head in direction of the sound, "Now that's a hearty laughter... Come here pretty thing." he patted the coffee table for the boy to sit on it, facing him. He took a long moment to look at him, nodding in approval. "Now that's more interesting... what's your name?"  
"Lou. Well, Lucas, but everyone calls me Lou." the boy beamed with the attention he was getting.  
"Am I everyone?" Mello looked down at him, and Danny rolled his eyes. His boss was probably the only guy that could look down at someone who was positioned higher than him.  
"No! I... That's not what I meant! I'm sorry!" the poor boy was mortified, and already his eyes were glistening.  
"You'll have to make up for that. You're cute enough to make the cut... oh come on, cry baby, I'm keeping you here, you should be happy!"

Mello sighed, hoping he wouldn't have to deal with too many sissies in here, he hated tears. They were useless and annoying.  
"Lesson one: be careful what you say, I'm not your buddy. Being cute will help you, but my patience is very limited, and crying will only make me want to slap you. So if you were planning on using pity with me, it will just lead you straight through the door."  
Mello straightened in his armchair, took a gulp out of his bottle, and looked around once more. "Talking about being cute, you-" he pointed at a short haired blond boy, "I don't like blondes, none can compare to what I see in the mirror every morning, you're out." He stood up, walking to see some of the boys better, "You look like an ant." and gestured to the door, notifying the one he just addressed to, a tall and lanky guy, that he was timed out as well.  
"That leaves us with a last one to disappoint tonight. Hmm..."

Danny brought a finger to his ear, trying to get what he was being said in his bluetooth device, the production not really agreeing on Mello cleaning the first five so fast, and made a little sign to the singer to catch his attention.  
He mouthed a few words, telling him to take it easy, earning himself a grin that he knew meant that the other would do as he pleased. Not that it was surprising.

Mello sat back, still gauging the remaining contestants. "You're all cute enough, hard choice..."  
Then he spotted someone who was still sat on a stool next to the bar, set back slightly from the group. He hadn't even noticed him at first. The least that could be said was that this one looked less than interested in what was happening, sipping a beer casually, half in the shade. Shade that was still unable to hide a particularity that Mello wasn't fond of, at all.

"A redhead. They fucking let a redhead in here... I guess we have a winner. Well, a loser, if anything. I don't know if you were playing mysterious staying there or if you wanted to hide that awful mop of yours but either way, bye bye. I don't do redheads."

The boy deposited his bottle of beer on the bar, slid from the stool, cigarette dangling from his lips, a slight smirk in the corner of his mouth, as he walked to the door slowly, with confidence, absolutely unfazed by the insulting way he'd just been spoken with.  
Mello sustained the look that the redhead gave him all the way, his mind suddenly cramming for a way to take things a different way, as he ticked.

Extending his arm, he blocked the passage just as the redhead arrived at his armchair's level.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Note:** I'm really excited to share this fic with you, thank you for the reviews on first chapter, and please, please, please, if you have a little time, keep on reviewing, or make sure you do from now on (I'm looking at you followers and favoriters that didn't leave a review ;) ) because I really need feedback, it's extremely hard for me to write something that is not first person POV, and I feel like I'm not exactly doing it right... point out mistakes or what was confused or just badly written, it will be really helpful (and okay, if you loved it, i'm still glad to hear it of course!)_

_Sooo, who can that redhead be, we ALL have no idea of course XD_

* * *

"Sit."

The redhead stopped, unable to go further without twisting Mello's arm - which was making a barrage at his mid-thighs - although he wouldn't really care about hurting that bastard. He looked downward at the singer, who had a sufficient smile plastered on his face, as if he was doing him a favour or something.

Like he cared: he wanted out, and now. There was no way he'd stay here, it was a stupid idea to begin with when his friends had subscribed him to the show, and even more stupid to take the bet. Okay, the daily wage was appealing and he could really use it since the company he worked for as a game beta had gone bankrupt the previous month, and he had been unable to find a new job since then. But he wasn't so sure why he had made it till now, till the mansion, persuaded at each step of the casting that he'd be out in no time, going to the next one out of sheer curiosity, and now he just felt out of place. What was he thinking anyway? It was obvious he wouldn't like it here, he was as social as a geek can be: close to zero. And the online mode of the PS3 didn't count. The only friends he had were from his high school years, with the exception of one that he knew from kindergarten.  
And he had only searched in the game beta field anyway, he could always take a waiter or cashier job or something in the meanwhile. Yeah, better get out of here now...

"What, do I look like a dog or something?" he replied, still keeping his apparent confidence and smirk, standing right where he was, glancing down at the musician.

Mello laughed heartily. "I like the attitude. Choose someone to leave at your place, puppy."  
The red haired boy ignored the nickname, but gave a puzzled look to the rockstar.  
"Come on! You're staying, if that wasn't clear enough, and you even get to choose who's out instead of you. Hurry up, that's your chance." Mello winked at him.

The boy turned around, looking at the others, wondering if he really wanted to do that. It was useless to stay, he didn't care for the guy, he wasn't even a fan although he couldn't help but know Mind Pollution, they were _everywhere_ for the past years. Of course, Mello was handsome, he couldn't deny it now that he was seeing him from so close, but he wasn't his type. Mello might not do redheads, but himself didn't do fat heads. Or people mocking his hair colour. So that was a dead end. Coming here for the money, what had gone through his mind? All this shit wasn't worth it.

The other boys started to express their disapproval, but Mello silenced them quickly.  
"My show, my rules, shut up." he simply said, raising an assertive palm. "So, puppy?" he urged the redhead.

The boy knew he could always drop from the show later, all the contestants had a way out when they really wanted to leave, even if the production knew that most of them would never take that option, most being there for media exposure, dreaming of making it big. Which was pretty stupid, the redhead thought, since very few had ever made it big out of such a show. And among those, none had become famous over talent, it was pretty much the opposite.  
So for the moment, he decided to comply just to piss out the others, he was the playful kind. Gamer, heh.

"The guy with the pink shirt." he designated a really handsome boy who was sat on the couch, next to Lou.  
"Why me?!" Pink shirt complained, standing, looking at Mello for an explanation.  
"Puppy?" Mello asked, glancing up at the redhead again.  
"Just because."  
Mello laughed out loud. He might not do redheads, but this one was refreshing. He wasn't sure why the boy was here since he obviously didn't give a fuck and didn't mind being out the first night, but that was all the more interesting compared to all those shoe-lickers. Maybe he was just playing hard to get, but Mello wasn't so sure, the unconcerned attitude seemed pretty natural, and the boy was taking a great risk, talking to him like that.

Just as Pink shirt started to head for the door, the redhead felt a hand on his butt. He was still standing next to the armchair where the rockstar sat, and the arm that was previously blocking him at mid-thighs had crept up. He turned around slightly.  
"Be careful, puppies can bite."

Slowly, he walked back to his stool, took the unattended beer back in hand, lit up a cigarette, and resumed not giving a fuck.  
Mello brought his attention to the rest of the contestants, but his interest was piqued. Not that he would show it. But the moment the boy had started to walk to the door, the colour of his hair wasn't so much of a problem anymore compared to those deep blue eyes that were _mocking_ him. It was rare enough for the singer to see it as a challenge, someone to put back at his place. And the eyes – and the rest – were to his likings. The redhead sure had nice features, if not for this crimson topping. Well, at least the song was in accordance with the plumage, with that bird. But as feline as Mello was, the bird wasn't scared of him, to say the least. Nice.

He tried, oh yes he tried. Mello knew he'd have to seemingly get to know each of them, so he gave himself five minutes with each of the boys during the night, trying not to punch any of those that tried to poke around and grab him for themselves while he was on a one on one with another. It was fair game but it irritated him to no end. He already knew who would be the next ones to leave, there were some nasty personalities in here, and not the entertaining kind of nasty, just downright boring, pretentious or simply stupid as fuck. No one was about to steal the show, Mello wasn't afraid of that particular aspect, he knew his value, media wise, but wannabe stars that counted on looks only... they were all pretty boys at that point and except the redhead who he wasn't sure about, he'd have no problem getting physical with any of them, so only their brain could save them at that point. If he was stuck here for days with them, he needed at least some keen retort, not just praise (although he loved a little bit of it... let's be honest).

Keeping the best for last, Mello finally let himself fall on a stool at the bar, where the redhead still was. He made sure to send the others further, tired of interacting with them, knowing the conversation would take a very different turn with the redhead. The seduction game was off limits obviously, and Mello had his curiosity to satisfy.

"Hey." Mello said, pulling the cigarette from the boy's lips, placing it between his and dragging on it.  
"Hey yourself." the redhead replied, picking up another cigarette in his pack and lighting it up, not even looking at the musician, "I thought singers preserved their voice."  
Mello ignored the comment. He wasn't a smoker, but he liked a cigarette sometimes. Especially when it could piss off the previous owner of the stick like now.  
"You don't even like me, why are you here?" He asked the redhead. No need to beat around the bush, Mello was only stating the obvious, and he wanted his curiosity to stop itching.  
"Money?" the redhead exhaled smoke, still looking straight ahead of him.  
"That's a good reason." Mello gulped some more Jack Daniels, leaving the bottle on the counter, and turned his stool to face the boy, "Probably the best I heard tonight, not even talking about those I can guess even if they won't admit it." he chuckled.  
"As if that was surprising." the redhead finally gave him a look sideways, briefly.  
"They'll have their dreams crushed soon enough."'  
"And you will take good care of that."  
Mello laughed, standing up and fetching a bottle of water before sitting back on the stool.

"Is that your real hair colour?" he asked after a short silence.  
"Will you ask me to prove it if I say yes?"  
"Well, I don't do redheads, but I might change my mind if the goods are worth it." Mello smirked, winking at the redhead, who huffed at the gesture, irritated. "Ah, come on, don't tell me you'd decline a good fuck with me!" Mello exclaimed with a smirk.  
"You don't do redheads but you sure are trying hard to." the boy retorted, dragging on his cigarette and exhaling through his nose.  
Mello laughed. This guy would put the finger on every incoherence of his behaviour it seemed, he'd have to play finely around him... but he didn't mind.  
"And here I was ready to change my ways and offering you the chance of your life, seems I'm getting old if I can't even get redheads into my bed..." There was no seduction game with the boy, but at least this one could get the humour, the others mostly took everything he said literally, too scared to make a faux-pas with him.  
Except that he apparently didn't realise how insulting he sounded.  
"Did they cast me so I could be the black sheep you take as an outlet?"  
Mello finally realised, but he didn't do sorry, and the boy was faster than he was to speak again, trying to find a way out without an excuse.  
"Doesn't mean I care, so keep your excuses, I was just wondering why I'm here. On every level."  
"On every level?"  
"Why I made it until now, and why I even accepted. Money doesn't even make up for this shit. You have no intention of ending up with one of those guys, seriously I mean, and for one that is serious about it, all the others are only after fame. Like the guy with the pink shirt, he's all doe eye with you and yet he was feeling Lou's ass earlier. I get it that it's what people want to see on TV nowadays but I don't know, you don't fit here, I don't fit here, what the fuck?"

Mello had to admit that he was a little surprised that the obvious reason why the redhead had chosen Pink shirt was because he had proof he was fake, it just didn't seem right. The boy didn't give a fuck about him or the show, and he knew that Mello was faking for the show's purpose as well, so why even account that particular display of cheating? It's not like it mattered, and if anything, if he was here for money, or for the wins, logic would be to keep the fakes over the honest ones in hope for them to be discovered, honest ones were a lot harder to get rid of.

"What tells you I don't fit here?"  
The redhead gave him a sideways look, lighting a third cigarette. "You sure smoke a lot." the singer noted.  
"You don't seem to be one to take somebody else's shit, and they're all full of it. And you don't need any more fame. If anything, that could bring you down. Well, I don't know what kind of fans you have, maybe they like that, but for someone whose band's name is Mind Pollution and brags about freedom, being batshit honest and all, that's quite the U-turn. Even I, not being a fan, know about your motto..."  
"I hope you don't talk so much during sex." Mello winked at him, hopping off the stool.  
The boy had a point, but he wouldn't admit it. He walked slowly to the place where all the boys had gathered and were chatting loudly.

"Hey Lou, my little finger told me someone laid his hands on you tonight that wasn't me?" the musician called out to the chestnut haired boy, who blushed deeply, ready to cry once again hearing that. "Come on Cry baby, I've got a territory to mark."

Mello took the boy's arm and pulled him to his private apartments, under the disbelieving look of the others, jealousy painted on their faces. The chosen one had a grin so wide it ate half of his face.

Danny left the corner where he was sat, apart from the rest, reaching Mello in no time, a finger on his bluetooth device. The production wasn't happy at all, Mello wasn't supposed to go that fast.  
The show, unlike every show of the genre, wasn't entirely filmed and assembled to the production's likings, and then only broadcast. The footage and broadcast were partly live, especially for the evening parts, it was the condition under which Mello had agreed to do it. Danny perfectly knew why his boss had made it a non-removable clause of the contract, and now was proof that the production had been stupid enough to think it would go smoothly.  
The whole show was only a fuck nest for the musician.

"Danny says goodnight too guys!" Mello threw to the rest of the boys, masking the little incident and disappearing in his apartments with Lou tiptoeing behind him, beaming.  
The guys only grunted, unhappy. The party ended quickly after that and all the boys left for their rooms, only the redhead staying where he was for a moment, finishing his umpteenth cigarette before reaching one of the couches and pulling a PS Vita out of his back pocket. It was way too early for him, 1am had never been a reasonable time for gamers to go to sleep. And at least he had a friend named Rayman with him here. He didn't even remember who was in the bedroom with him, he had just taken the closest bed to the exit, so he could at least come and go at night without waking up his room mates.

Unfortunately, alone in the dark and very close to Mello's apartments, he ended up hearing _everything_.  
Lou was obviously a vocal one, and even if the redhead didn't want to know who was top or bottom, Lou's praises and begs left no doubt about how much he was taking... and Mello did have quite the stamina because when the redhead finally went to take some rest around 3am, they were still at it.

It's only when he heard some shuffling in the corridor and then in his bedroom that the redhead realised that he was paired with Lou. Great. Rolling on his side, he looked at the wall clock which digits glowed in the darkness: 4:27am.  
Obviously, the petite boy had been used and discarded.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Note: **Usually, in the real shows, the contestants get a note in rhymes every morning telling them what the day will be about, but I tweaked that to have mostly Mello coming to announce the schedule, for some more interaction and because consider me as the producer of the show so I decide of the rules, bwah! XD  
Don't expect too much developement concerning the other contestants except for the ones I really need, it would have been uninteresting anyway because most won't stay long._

* * *

**DAY TWO – 15 contestants / 2 to be eliminated**

It was past 10am when the redhead opened his eyes again, awoken by noises. Talking, showers running, teeth being brushed... Not really happy to find himself in an unknown bed surrounded by boys getting ready, he comforted himself with the knowledge that every day started in the mansion was paid, so that was still one more on his account. One day here paid as much as a week at his previous job anyway.

Sitting on the border of his bed, he pulled his suitcase from under it, picking up clothes and his wash bag, and barely spared Lou a look as the boy tried to sit in his bed and grimaced because of the pain. Chuckling, he headed for the bathroom. Looked like someone would have difficulties to sit today.

A rock tune, the same as the first day, when Mello had made his first appearance, resounded a few minutes later. It was the signal for the boys to gather in the main room, and the madness that ensued only made the redhead take even more his time. He rinsed his mouth as he had just finished brushing his teeth, gathered his stuff, threw his wash bag on his bed as he walked past his bedroom, and entered the living room where all the others were lining, still in the process of putting his tee-shirt on as he stopped at the far right of the line. Lou almost tripped on him as he arrived running, still with pyjama pants on, shirtless, obviously just out of bed.

The musician, who was standing facing the line of boys, his attire barely different from the day before, only the grey shirt replaced by a black one with a Mötorhead logo, his hair falling on his shoulders contrasting with the garment, barely acknowledged the petite latecomer, his eyes focused on something else.

The redhead barely combed his damp hair with his fingers as some locks fell in his eyes, looking at Mello come his way, wondering what the musician wanted, so close to him all of a sudden, under the others' gaze. The attention he was getting was becoming an habit it seemed, and he was far from liking it. Neither did the other contestants for that matter.

Mello crooked his index under the hem of the redhead's tee-shirt, pulling it upward, staring a few seconds at that particular area, then giving an approving smile to the boy before letting the back of his fingers stroke his abs slowly while he pulled the garment downward, back in place. The redhead felt the fine line of hairs between his navel and crotch raise with goosebumps.  
Bending slightly, Mello approached his lips to his left ear.  
"I'll do this redhead." he whispered out of the others' reach, before straightening with a sly smirk.  
"You wish." the redhead retorted, keeping his poker face.  
The other didn't reply back, his expression full of confidence in the fact that he'd get what he wanted. And the redhead was even more determined to show him that things wouldn't go the rockstar's way this time.

"Look at Cry baby... hard night babe?" Mello chuckled, as he shifted his attention to the boy at the redhead's right. That's when the redhead noticed bruises on the boy's hips, as he gave him a glance. Mello sure hadn't been gentle, not that it surprised him. That went with the character. "Go get ready, you look like you've been run over by a train."  
Some of the other contestants laughed at that statement, but the singer was already moving on.

"Okay guys, we're having some fun together today so I can get to know you a little bit more, and see how combative you can be. I'm not spoiling the surprise so you'll have to wait till we get there, but I can already tell you that the winner of today's challenge will get to have a one on one with me tonight at my favourite place..."  
"The Whisky A GoGo!" a few guys shouted.  
"I see some of you have learn their lessons." Mello chuckled, "That's right, greasy burgers, loud music, and a special booth for two, so you'd better be good this afternoon boys! I'll give you fifteen minutes to join me in the bus that's waiting outside, lunch is ready in there, it will take around one hour to get there so you'll have time to get stuffed before the competition begins. No waiting for the latecomers so hurry up! And make sure to put on your best jeans!"

Mello turned around and left by the front door, all the boys already throwing ideas as to what was expected from them, except for Lou that had run to the shower and the redhead that simply went to put his shoes on, grab a pack of cigarettes, and head outside. Lighting in front of the main door, he rested his back against the wall and smoked peacefully, eyes closed, far from the buzzing in the mansion.

"Care to offer me one?" a voice rose from a few feet away, steps coming closer.  
"I thought you could at least buy yourself a pack with all the money you're making." the redhead pulled the pack out of his pocket and handed it out blindly in front of him, not even opening an eye.  
"Spent it all on girls."  
The redhead laughed softly.  
"Damn, a positive reaction, who would have believed!" Mello exclaimed cheerfully.  
The redhead opened his eyes to glance at the musician, who had, for once, a genuine smile on his lips. It really did change all of his features, he noted.  
"So, puppy, not really getting along with the ladies in there I assume?"  
"I'm not really a people person."  
"No shit..."

They smoked in silence for a while, still hearing shouts and stomping coming from the mansion.  
"Do you really need money that badly? I mean, to do something that's obviously not like you, you must need it pretty badly..."  
"Lost my job, although I suppose that I will find another one."  
"Let me guess... Mario tee-shirt... that's quite nerdy... computer techie?"  
"Game beta."  
Mello laughed loudly. "Is that even a job? Damn, you were paid to play all day!"  
"Says the guy who makes a living playing music." the redhead mocked him.  
"Touché."

The boys were starting to exit the mansion, interrupting the little aside, so Mello hopped in the bus, leaving the redhead be last to come inside. The latter spotted the two only available seats quickly, one right next to Mello, and another at the far end, next to a guy whose name he didn't even know, a tall and well built brunette with a tribal tattoo on his arm. He opted for this seat and sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to have a smoke until they reached their destination. They were allowed to smoke in the mansion, but not in the bus.

Munching on his food, Mello was staring at the redhead, realising that he already knew all the names (even if he couldn't remember them all, he had had them all at one point) but he had no clue about that boy. He was about to ask Danny, who was sitting next to the bus driver, eating a sandwich, but changed his mind.  
Said redhead was focused on something that looked like a small gaming device, so he made his way to him, waving at the brunette to move from his seat, and plopped down right next to him, his arm encircling the redhead's shoulders as he bent over to peer at the console.  
"Nice stuff you got there." Mello said casually.  
"I hope you're only talking about my Vita." the other retorted, trying to ignore the arm and the scent that was coming to his nose, a mix of leather, smoke and probably perfume.  
The musician chortled.  
"Funny thing, I don't even know your name."  
"Probably because you didn't ask."  
"So, care to tell me or do I have to keep on calling you Puppy?"  
"I'd rather like you not to call me at all, to be honest."  
"And to think I can't even threaten you to throw you out of the bus because you'd like that." Mello sighed heavily, retrieving his arm, "So, Puppy it is, then?"  
"Matt."  
"Nice to meet you, Matt." Mello smiled in victory, "And this is probably the first time I mean it since the show began..."  
"Oh please, keep that cheesy shit for Lou." Matt replied, rolling his eyes.  
"I was being honest." Mello stood up, getting back to his initial place, leaving Matt with a feeling that Mello was actually sulking. It made him smirk, as he resumed his game. Spoiled brat.

Voices started cheering as a huge field came into view. Various activity poles were set but only few of them could actually be defined from the distance. There was a brick wall, a pool, the rest slowly appearing as the bus stopped on the parking just before the field.

Once everyone was out of the bus, Mello started to explain.  
"Guys, you're probably able to guess that life with me is a roller coaster, and the first things you need to have to keep up with me are stamina and strength, so I'm gonna test these abilities of yours with an assault course. Some of the obstacles are pretty simple to figure out, but I've added some that are a bit more rock 'n'roll just to add to the fun. First thing, I want everyone shirtless. For the eye candy, of course, but also because you will have to get wet in the pool as you are. No taking pants off, that's why I asked you to wear jeans today."  
"Hey, I proved myself last night! Do I still have to do this?" Lou exclaimed suddenly, almost pouting.  
"You only proved that you can wake up the neighbours sweetheart." Mello dismissed him with a mocking voice, the others laughing their ass off. "And don't start crying." the singer added, not needing to look at the chestnut haired boy to know tears were threatening to fall.

Followed by the group, he started walking toward the field and the first activity: a huge wooden pole secured with four ropes tied to metal rings inserted in the ground, with scarves tied from yard to yard from the third one onto the top.  
"Eleven yard guys, I hope you're not afraid of heights! Each colour of scarf equals a certain amount of points, according to that chart." Mello pointed out to a white panel at his left, "You go by two teams, and the one with the highest score wins, then I divide the winning team in two and there we go again, until only one of you is left. I shall add that the pole has been covered in soap, so how you get the scarves is up to you, only the result counts. Only rule, you have to actually grab them with your hands only, no teeth, no belts, nothing. Jump, climb, crawl, I don't care. Just try to preserve your dignity." Mello chuckled, ready to enjoy the show.

The first boy to attempt the pole climbing ended up flat on his ass, followed by a good share of the next ones, the soap being a traitor, as expected. Most scarves were of the first colour, but few were brought back due to the failure of many of the boys to reach the first mark at least. No dignity was preserved at that point, but everyone stayed in a good spirit and the whole place resounded with laughters. Surprisingly, the last ones to go of each team were the ones that did best.  
"It's no surprise, twigs are lighter than us!" the tall brunette complained, earning himself a dark look from Mello. "I didn't say that for you Mello, you're thin but you're..."  
"Shut up." the musician spat, irritated. He had already faced a good amount of asses in the music business because he was openly gay, his stature was second in topics not to be brought up.

Mello was by no means skinny but his 5"7 and lightweight, although toned body had earned him quite the nasty comments related to the usual gay equal girly cliché. His long hair didn't help, although it was pretty common in the rock industry.  
But if Mello was something, it was manly. Some had learnt it at their expense after being introduced to the singer's right hook.

And indeed, Lou and Matt, both for their respective team, managed to reach the second mark, Lou's team losing by one point.  
The game went on until only two boys were left, a tall guy that bragged about being a model, and the redhead, who started to be exhausted with all this climbing.

"Ooh, Puppy versus Catwalk, nice." Mello cheered, quite satisfied with the sight of shirtless boys covered in soap, hair tousled and sweaty skin glistening.  
There was actually more soap on the eliminated boys' chests than the pole at that point, rendering things a lot easier for the ones that remained in the run, and as the self proclaimed model took his turn, he managed to reach the second last mark, under Matt's disabused look.

Not that he particularly wanted to win a one on one, but still, he didn't like to lose a game and decided to take Mello's words literally when he said that how they got the scarves was up to them. Unsecuring one of the nooses, he stepped aside, imitated by all the other boys when they realised that the pole was now unbalanced and starting to wither, finally falling the opposite way in a deafening crash.  
Matt slowly walked to the other end, unfastened the last scarf, and brought it back to Mello, who was laughing and clapping loudly.  
"There sure is a brain under that insane wig of yours. I was wondering when someone would actually notice the easy way." he took the scarf from the redhead's hand, grabbing his fingers in the process and pulling him so he could whisper to his ear: "I hope you're as inventive in the bedroom babe..." in a sultry tone.  
Matt straightened, regaining his balance, unfazed. "You call me Puppy, but you're the one who's acting like a bitch in heat." he murmured back.  
Mello looked taken aback, but he quickly regained his composure to announce the next activity.


	4. Chapter 4

"Okay, no rest for the braves, the next one is pretty simple: climb the wall, get to the other side without breaking your neck, and I'll decide who was the most graceful one... just kidding, be sexy guys, show me those muscles, I wanna wet myself like a schoolgirl."

The boys didn't need to be said twice. The wall was quickly overcome for most of them, most trying to display their assets in the meantime, Lou on the other side was hanging by the arms at the border, unable to lift his weight to the top. He had managed with the pole but being far from sporty and pretty disadvantaged by his small height, his arms were failing him, tired from the previous effort.  
Matt was feeling sorry for the boy, who was now fully crying, trying to contain his sobs at the realisation that since he had already lost on the previous spot, failing now would put him out of the competition for the evening's one on one with Mello more than certainly. Quickly, trying to go unnoticed, Matt pushed the boy under his feet to help him up. The chestnut haired boy landed on the other side a bit roughly but it had the merit to dry his tears.  
Matt then jumped and lifted himself in a swift movement, landing on his two feet on the other side. He might be a gamer, but he also had a yearly subscription at the local swimming pool. No, he wasn't sporty by all means, but he needed back relief and only swimming brought it to him. Who would have thought that spending hours playing video games would actually lead him to keep his body in condition?

Mello didn't miss Matt's perfectly defined back muscles rolling under the pale skin. They were just as attractive as the abs he had had a glimpse earlier in the mansion, and a better look since the boys went shirtless. The least that could be said was that he had been quite surprised to see muscles on what he had taken as a lanky body at first, and he really, really was starting to find that body attractive. He had a soft spot for short and thin guys so if not for the red hair, Matt was already scoring well, physical appearance-wise, with his shorter stature and deep blue eyes and overall really handsome features, but add muscles to that...  
But what didn't go unnoticed either was the help Matt provided to Lou. Mello kept that in the corner of his mind, not knowing if he should interpret it as a will to see Lou win so Matt wouldn't have to spend the evening with the musician, or just out of sheer kindness.

"So, we have a winner, hands down. Lou, come here baby." Mello shouted in direction of the boys as he came closer to the group. Lou trotted toward Mello, a huge smile on his face. Matt noticed the smirk on the latter's face, and knew that Lou was about to be crushed in Mello's palm.  
"Cry baby, I'm sure that you agree with me that Matt-Puppy is our winner, don't you think so?" he purred, playing with a chestnut lock.  
The poor boy's lower lip started quivering. _Bingo_, Matt thought.  
But the chestnut haired boy could hardly go against that decision, knowing that he wouldn't have made it without the redhead, and sure now that Mello had seen everything, although he had had some hope that Mello hadn't.  
"That's unfair!" the brunette shouted, "Why him again? That show is cheated!"  
"Maybe because he showed me something he had that you don't, sweetie, and I'm not talking about his cock." Mello retorted, facing the guy that quickly stopped arguing the decision.  
No one dared to add something at that point, although most were quite disappointed with the choice and whispering in Matt's back.

The redhead didn't care about what happened in his back, totally uninterested in rivalries for something he didn't even want to win. Okay, it was probably his only chance to go to a place like the Whisky A GoGo, and it was probably fun there, but he wouldn't miss it if he didn't, and a date with Mello alone, hell no. He was by no means violent but the musician's attitude asked for a punch most of the time and Matt wasn't sure he could resist the urge to comply. What was it with rockstars that they thought they could act like dicks and get away with it (Mello was even praised for that by his little court)? Scratch that. Mello, even not being a rockstar, would probably act the same, he was genetically an ass.  
Matt wondered what the guy's parents were like all of a sudden, what kind of family he had to be like that. He wasn't into the band so he wouldn't know, maybe it was a known fact, with all the interviews that had been published until now, that he hadn't read to begin with. Ah, whatever.

"Earth to Puppy!" a voice stirred him out of his thoughts, and a tuft of chestnut hair blocked his sight suddenly as two arms encircled his neck. "Thank you for helping me!" Lou's voice was a whisper, punctuated by a kiss on his cheek that left him stunned for a few seconds, watching the young boy dance away quickly to catch up with Mello and the group that was heading to the next pole. Mello peered over his shoulder and Matt knew that he had seen it all by the way he looked at Lou, a possessive glow in his eyes.

"Now's the time to go down and dirty boys!" Mello said loudly, and his expression was proof that it was probably his favourite activity to watch: a large mud puddle, a rope, and fifteen boys to try to land safe on the other side.  
"Dry-cleaning's not included!" the musician shouted as he reached for the arrival platform, climbing a small ladder that led to his private seat, offering him a good view far from the splashing.  
Matt carefully looked at the boys that went before him: three ended getting their legs to the knees in the mud but managed to reach the other side, while two lamentably dived head first or butt first in the puddle, unable to hold on to the rope long enough.  
Lou approached the border of the platform, rope in hand, giving a desperate look at Matt.  
"Can't do anything for you man." he said, raising his hands in defeat. Lou was so helpless, he needed to grow some balls before he got eaten alive in this show...  
The chestnut haired boy let himself fall from the platform, holding on as much as he could to the rope, but not building up enough speed led him to hang above the puddle, his legs curled up under him very close to the mud, balancing slightly until he came to a full stop. Matt looked at the scene, aggravated.

"We don't have the whole afternoon Cry baby!" Mello yelled in annoyance. Lou didn't really have a choice at that point, and, letting the rope go, splashed in the puddle, crawling to reach the other end, covered in mud. And crying.  
Mello sighed. The boy was a cutie, but damn was he needy and sensitive.  
The singer gave a small sign to Danny, who had just come back from the bus with a red box. The cover was quickly discarded, the box open in Mello's lap, and he plunged a greedy hand in it, popping two chocolates at a time in his mouth, closing his eyes for a second.

Matt didn't do the same mistake and, taking enough distance backward, he jumped, gaining height on the rope quickly as he passed over the puddle, getting rope-burnt as he descended too fast as the arrival platform was under his feet, before the rope took him back again.  
When all the contestants had taken their turn, some going behind Matt getting the hint and making it unstained to the other side as well, Mello gracefully jumped from his seat to the platform, throwing the empty chocolate box to his second hand man.  
"I'm afraid to say that at this point, it's pretty clear that Matt is leading the game, and will be going out with me tonight if you don't bust your asses boys!"  
"Hey, we made it too, why do you always pick him, you don't even like redheads!" a voice protested.  
"Yeah, he's right! I'm sure Matt is an actor and all is already planned for him to win!" someone else added, soon everyone but Matt getting involved in the little display of discontentment.  
"It's always like that!" the brunette said, "Why are we here anyway?!"

"SHUT UP!" Mello ended the little argument quickly, "If that's what you think I'm capable of, then leave right away, nothing's keeping you here." he calmed down quickly and took a threatening tone, knowing full well that no one would actually take the offer. Playing indignant was kinda fun since they all feared his reactions.  
And indeed, the clamour died down, none of the participants wanting to be off the show.

Matt was pretty annoyed. He didn't want to be winning this but he couldn't help doing his best, he had a pride to preserve, and they were on TV after all. He hated to be the center of attention in the group though. He really felt like the man to bring down, Mello making sure of it on top of it. He'd thought that winning wasn't taking the way out off of his options and that even being victorious at the end of the day, he could always decline the one on one. He didn't need to make a fool of himself to avoid the date, he couldn't even bring himself to do that anyway. He wasn't a macho by any means but heh, he still was a man. And his mum was watching the show... oh how embarrassing it had been when Linda, a high school friend, had babbled aloud about the show in front of her, when all Matt had wanted was to hide it from her since she was unlikely to discover by herself...

What wasn't cool was the guy that pushed him quite roughly off his way as he walked past him to reach the next pole, following the others, giving him a dark look. If it came down to that, it wasn't going to be pretty. Matt hoped that no one would get physical, in a violent way that is, in the mansion. He wasn't a fighter, and he doubted that he could reproduce the moves of his favourite character of Tekken 6 in real life.

"Last one guys! Everyone in the pool!"  
The boys didn't need to be said twice, their muddy and sweaty body dying under the sun of California. The water splashed, wetting Mello before he could step back.  
Smirking, he removed his tee-shirt, exposing his perfect six-pack and toned chest, throwing the garment strip-tease style to Danny, who rolled his eyes, accustomed to that kind of show off. Brushing his damp hair back with his fingers, he relished a few seconds in the wolf-whistles and cat-calls of the boys.  
"Okay, enough now, keep a bit of it for what's next babes..." he simpered, pretending to undress completely as he unlaced his leather pants slowly. The boys went simply wild at the sight, making Mello laugh loudly.  
"Really, did you think I'd give it to you so easily? I'm saving this for my special one..." he calmed them down, lacing back up and looking at Lou who was already grinning and imagining he would be the winner since he had spent the previous night with the singer in a very, very intimate way. "And for Lou." Mello added, a nasty smirk on his lips, that he seemed to reserve to every time he crushed Lou's little world.

Matt looked instantly at the boy, who, weirdly enough, gave him a sad look, making Matt think that the puppy was probably more Lou than himself. Mello seemed to love teasing the boy, except that the teasing was really mean, especially when the target was someone as fragile as Lou. All wet and crying again, the petite contestant suddenly looked so young that the redhead wondered how old he was. He was such a cry baby, Mello was right on that point, and couldn't obviously take care of himself, and Matt didn't want to nurse the boy to the slightest, but the latter seemed to search answers in him and that was pretty bad.

"Boys, there are weighted items at the bottom of the pool. You need to grab one, and one only, and when you have your own, exit the pool and join me here. I'll tell you what to do with it once everyone is here. And no, you won't have to stick it up your ass, I promise, unless you really want to."  
Everyone chuckled and hurried underwater.  
Lou for once was the first to exit the pool, an old vinyl record in hand, and he tiptoed to Mello's side with a careful, but happy grin. He didn't know what Mello expected of him exactly, relationship wise, but even if he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, he had gotten it by now that the rockstar was kind of playing him. Still, he hoped that if he held on, they could be a couple anyway, Mello would see they could be fine together, and Lou really had a crush on Mello after all. He had him plastered all over his bedroom, knew all the songs and trivia of the band by heart and had seen them live too many times to count.

Matt was close behind, holding a guitar pick.  
It barely took four minutes for all the boys to exit the pool, items in hand.

"Everyone got his item? Good, let's get started. The last game will show me who knows me best. The item you're holding refers to a question, that you will have to answer. Let's start with Cry baby since this time he was first, _very_ unexpectedly." Mello chuckled. "Lou, your item is a vinyl record. And your question is: How many years in a row did my band get the best rock band Grammy award?"  
"Four years!" Lou exclaimed in a high pitched voice, almost jumping in excitement.  
"I didn't expect least of you baby."  
"Can I get a kiss?"  
"No. Next one. Oh, Matt-Puppy, my sweetiepie." Mello exaggerated, "A pick. Okay, can you tell me what was my first guitar?"  
"No idea." Matt replied, shrugging, and not really ready to make any effort to guess.  
"I'll leave you with one guess, think hard Mattie!"  
"I'd rather stick the pick up my ass actually. No-i-dea." he punctuated to show how few he cared about giving a proper answer.  
"I'd love to see that Mattie, but I'm afraid we can't show that on TV so that will have to wait tonight." the musician winked. He would still be taking Matt to the one on one tonight, there was no way the redhead escaped what looked like a punishment to him, which added to Mello's pleasure. He had done well to the three first poles and even without the correct answer right now, it was still three to zero with the others.  
"It's an ESP Eclipse, dumbass!" someone shouted.

"Catwalk, what's your item?"  
"A plastic bottle!" the model replied, raising it for everyone to see.  
"Question: what is the one thing that I will never, ever drink?"  
Catwalk's mouth opened slightly in worry. He wasn't sure he knew the answer, that was a tricky one. He had read lots of interviews before the show, but he wasn't sure Mello had ever talked about his likes and dislikes concerning food or drink. Mello obviously drank water, bourbon, he also had seen him drink coke in the bus... damn, what could it be?

Lou was obviously dying to give the answer, jumping from one foot to another, looking insistently at Mello.  
"Come on Catwalk, that's simple!" Mello was growing impatient, "Okay, Lou, say it since with Catwalk it's all body and no brain obviously."  
"From your river of tears!" Lou shouted, clutching to Mello's arm.  
"I'm getting worried here guys, never heard our song _Drown yourself_?"  
Ohs and ahs resounded at the tricky answer.  
"Good boy, Cry baby, you at least know your lessons." Mello patted his head, "A little more and this boy would purr." he chuckled.

The next questions were all answered, but Mello didn't change his mind. He announced Matt as the winner.  
"But I answered to more than one!" Lou protested weakly, a visible pout on his lips.  
"I don't mind leaving my place to him..." Matt saw that as a chance to avoid the date and offered quickly to let Lou take the spot.  
"You won't get out of this Matt-puppy, trust me, I want you there with me." Mello whispered, a glint in his eyes that told the redhead that the singer was pretty irritated by his constant trials to escape the date.  
"At least take Lou too, he did his best and got some success anyway..."  
"You decide now?" Mello spat, turning his back to the redhead and calling everyone to go back to the bus. "Come on boys, time to get back to the mansion and clean yourselves!"


	5. Chapter 5

Mello disappeared right away in his apartments, leaving the boys get rid of their muddy clothes while he got ready for the evening's one on one. He also wanted to think over who would go home in the next elimination, just after the date. There were guys that he really didn't care about and that he would have no problem getting rid of, it was just a matter of deciding in which order, only two would leave tonight although there were at least five he wanted out. They were handsome but he wouldn't do them for various reasons. One for the obvious reason that his back was full of acne, that was gross. The others, he didn't really feel an attraction in the end, he'd rather fuck Lou if he had to choose, he was the cutest anyway, and much more to his tastes. Overconfident guys were quite the turn off for him.

He plunged his body in the warm water of his bath, relieving his back muscles. They were being a bitch lately, since the accident he had on stage at the latest TV show Mind Pollution had participated to. It had been pretty thoughtless to jump from that ramp at the end of the song, but damn, the effect on the fans! They had been crazy! Danny had to help him backstage, and the next day, Facebook, Twitter, every media only talked about that, there were communiqués on every channel to give news about his health condition. He probably had never gotten so many fans letters and presents than that time. He probably had never gotten such a bruise either, almost half of his back was a giant purple patch and the doctors said he was lucky he didn't break anything.

Actually, all he knew was who he was planning to keep longer: Lou and the redhead. The first because he had a nice little ass that asked to be banged, and Mello didn't even have to manipulate him to bed him, he just had to take what he wanted. The redhead... Matt... that guy had some attitude for sure, but there was more to him. He actually used his brain, and damn, that body. Maybe with a little hair dye... Mello felt challenged when thinking about him. He _would_ get him sooner or later. And it was a funny idea to think about keeping him until the end when the boy obviously didn't care, if he didn't run away before that... he could always call to the contract clause that allowed him to leave.

Or he really was playing hard to get, on a very, very pushy level... that would explain why he was still here although he claimed about not giving a shit. If he really needed the money, he would at least put some effort in not being kicked out, right? Interesting...

Or... no, that couldn't be, he wouldn't be so unconscious as to do that right here, on that show? He had chosen Pink shirt to leave at his place and informed Mello that the guy was feeling Lou's ass in the musician's back, and he had helped Lou during the little contest, talked in favour of the petite boy even, and Lou had kissed him on the cheek and showed some connection with the redhead, searching for support, in the pool. Mmh...

Mello was confused, many possible scenarios came to his mind. Maybe those two knew each other and one was here to help the other win, or Matt had his mind set on Lou, not Mello, anything could be possible given the clues, if they were actually clues. The singer stood in his bath and got out of it, uncaring for the foam dripping all over the carpet, grabbed a towel and dried himself quickly, marching to his bedroom after tossing the towel on the ground.

"Danny?" Mello called out to his right hand man. The tall bodyguard's head peeped through the door he just opened, careful not to see anything he didn't want. Mello was standing in front of his wardrobe, choosing clothes, and Danny was relieved to see he was alone in there, so he entered completely. He didn't care for Mello's naked ass, he had seen every part of the man a thousand times, and Mello wasn't particularly self-conscious, at least not in a confidence-lacking way.  
"Yep?" he asked.  
"Tell Lou to get ready as well, I wanna take him to half of the date, but make sure to tell him that at some point I'll send him back here to enjoy my alone time with Matt."  
"Okay boss. The kid will sure be in heaven." he smiled.  
Mello chuckled. Poor Cry baby, this time he was gonna cry of joy. He was cute. Needy but cute.

"At least you dressed nicely." Mello winked at Matt as he watched the two contestants approach the limo.  
Matt was wearing dark blue skinny jeans and a striped red and black long sleeved tee-shirt. He hadn't left his usual Converses behind though. To his opinion, this was a very casual outfit, and he was half disappointed to think that Mello believed he had made an effort, when he had made none.  
Lou searched for Mello's eyes but the man didn't comment on his outfit, when he was the one that had made a real effort, sporting the clothes he had bought especially thinking of a date with the musician.

Mello couldn't help but notice the boy's slight pout, and slapped his ass as he entered the limo, making him giggle. "Hurry up baby, the earlier we get there, the earlier I'm back here to take care of that sweet ass of yours."  
Matt rolled his eyes and looked by the window, although he couldn't see much with the tinted glass.  
"Aw Mattie, you can join us you know, there's enough of me for the two of you..."  
"No thanks." Matt gave him a dark look. He wasn't going to give in to Mello, and he wasn't certainly close to participating in a threesome. He may have lost some dignity when accepting to enrol in the show, but that would be all he would lose.  
"Then it will only be you and me Lou dear..." Mello replied, grabbing the boy's chin and pulling him into a sloppy kiss while eyeing Matt teasingly, making the redhead roll his eyes once again.  
The petite boy was indeed in heaven right now, Matt thought, but the fall would be extremely hard on him, Mello didn't care hurting him, although Matt was sure that he was aware that the boy was very much into his little dream of dating the rockstar seriously.

The limo parked in front of the rock bar, and they exited the car to enter quickly inside of the Whisky A GoGo before any fan could reach to them. The boss himself welcomed them, leading the trio to a special booth where they could see the scene and catwalk as well as have some privacy.  
"Three specials." Mello simply said to the waiter, ordering their food right away so it wasn't served too late, Lou had to get out of here before the end of the date, and the earlier the better. Another waiter arrived with drinks already.  
"Good evening sir." the young male deposited a full glass in front of each of them and left quickly. All the waiters here knew the instructions when it came to that special guest: no useless talking, always call him sir, and be quick.

Lou immediately tasted his drink, opening wide eyes at the flavour.  
"That's strong!" he squeaked, making Mello laugh.  
"That's a man's drink baby, not for you obviously."  
The boy took another gulp, forcing it down his throat, grimacing.  
Matt gave it a try, and indeed it was strong, there was obviously some kind of juice masking the alcohol but there was a good dose of the latter in the drink. He looked at Mello who sipped half of his glass like water.  
"Lime, sake, pepper." the musician cited, "It's just like semen, you wonder why you swallow it, but you can't help coming back for more."  
With that, he squeezed Matt's thigh, who slapped the invading hand away. "You've got your toy at your right, so leave my thigh alone. Or any other part of me for that matter."

"Tell me, Puppy, do you wanna win this show?" Mello asked suddenly to his ear, out of reach of the cameras and microphones, leaving Matt puzzled, not getting why he was asked such a thing. Hadn't he been obvious until now?  
"I already told you all about it, well, except that I'm also here on a dare, but it doesn't change anything. I have no interest in you, I don't really enjoy this, I'll gladly take the money, but I can drop anytime if that gets too much for me. And it's very close to it right now." he whispered back, forced to get closer in the process for Mello to hear, his arm touching Mello's, getting goosebumps against his will.  
It didn't go unnoticed, and Mello removed his arm from between them to encircle Matt's shoulders, bringing him closer.  
"You could win." he murmured, lips very close to Matt's lobe, curling a crimson lock behind the redhead's ear. "Actually, and I won't ask a second time, please stay." he added, his breath tickling Matt's ear, the alcohol in his system already giving the redhead some issues with the proximity.  
The scent of leather mixed with Mello's perfume woke up his senses, and he cursed inwardly for the way his body reacted. The man sure had things on his side when it came to getting what he wanted. But he wouldn't give in. No way. He should stop drinking that shit first before he got drunk enough to make a mistake.

Mello wasn't blind, he could see the slight blush on Matt's face even in the darkened place, and with the goosebumps and the way the redhead's breath became erratic sometimes, he knew he had the upper hand. He also knew that it would never be enough, because Matt's jaw clenched in determination and he wasn't about to give in just now.  
"You know I'm not serious about this whole thing, but still, I think we could have a lot of fun you and me, if you just stopped being so cold... see, you're warming up already, come on, don't be so tight-assed, I..."  
"You don't do redheads."  
"You'd be cute with brown hair." Mello brushed the fiery bangs out of Matt's eyes with a hand, slowly.

Matt put some distance between him and Mello, getting rid of the arm around his shoulders.  
"If you want me that bad, you could at least have the decency to take me as I am."  
"Aw... does that mean that you'd give yourself as you are?" Mello chuckled, knowing he had probably hurt the boy but not failing his rule to avoid apologies.  
"If anything, you just ruined your chances. Not that you had any to begin with, but I had it with guys that always find something they want to change in me. I'm not cut like a model, I have red hair, I'm a gamer that hardly goes out and I hate being around too many people, I like stuff that some may call childish and I have no fashion sense whatsoever, that's it, that's what I am, and as unappealing as it is, I have no intention to change. If you want someone who will morph at your every demand, look at your right."  
"Easy, easy there!" Mello laughed, "You really are a mystery, coming here on this show..."  
"Consider me for elimination tonight because if you don't, I'll drop off anyway." Matt stated. This time it was enough. This was pure nonsense to be here, and he was even arguing with a guy he didn't even care about, seriously... He had earned enough money for two weeks and coupled with his savings, it would be enough to help him with his bills until he found a new job, in a month he could probably find something.

Mello was silent for a few seconds, and brought his attention to Lou, leaving Matt in peace while he groped the boy.  
Lou was half drunk, giggling like a girl and sticking to Mello like glue, kissing him in the neck.  
The food arrived and the younger downed it like he was starving, while Mello ate slowly, listening to Lou with only one ear while his mind was working. Matt barely picked at his fries, waiting impatiently for the date to end.

"Can we at least enjoy the evening and our food?" Mello said all of a sudden, looking at Matt, searching for a positive sign.  
"I suppose." the redhead sighed. He did feel bad, because he didn't want to be here although others that would have been a better company would have killed to be at his place, and even if he didn't like the guy, he was still ruining his time right now, and that wasn't fair after all, so he would at least try to be a little more open right now. He didn't have the right to be an ass when he had voluntarily come here, happy about it or not.  
"Yay!" Lou exclaimed, his voice a little slurred, "Let's party!" he raised his drink but Mello took it from his hand and downed the rest of it.  
"I think you had enough baby. Finish your plate now."  
Matt was surprised to hear such a soft voice out of the musician's mouth. It certainly wasn't like him to take care of anybody. Sure, he was talking to Lou like to a child, belittling him in the process, but still...

Lou was almost falling asleep on Mello's shoulder and the singer decided that it was time for him to be sent back to the mansion, the boy had had too much alcohol and obviously couldn't handle it. Danny showed up in the entrance after Mello's phone call from his cell, and came to pick up the sleepy mess, shaking him a bit to wake him up so he wouldn't have to carry him to the limo.

Once they were both out of sight, Mello grabbed Matt's lighter along with a cigarette, stopped mid-gesture and asked: "Can I?"  
Matt was about to reply some nasty comment about how Mello usually took without asking but he refrained, and simply nodded. It's when Mello held the lighter in hand, trying to light up, that Matt understood that the rockstar himself wasn't that sober, his hand shaking slightly.  
Matt barely had the time to pull Mello's hair back when the flame rose from the lighter before they caught on fire.  
"You've got some reflex." Mello chuckled, finally getting the cigarette lit up, Matt still holding his hair. He let them go only when the lighter was on the table.  
"A little more and the rockstar look would have been ruined." Matt joked, but his eyes were glued to the lips where the cigarette dangled. There was something different in Mello's whole expression, he couldn't really place it, but it started with Mello's mouth. The usual smirk wasn't there but it wasn't only that.  
He was quickly cut out of his thoughts though.

"Alone at last." Mello gave him a lopsided smile, catching the cigarette between two fingers, exhaling smoke.  
"I was soooo impatient." Matt chuckled.  
"Do you really want to go tonight?" the singer asked genuinely, and suddenly Matt placed what was so different about him: his whole expression was relaxed, there was no sick amusement, no overthinking, no teasing, he was just normal. The icy eyes weren't even that frightening anymore, and for once he looked simply like the common run of people. Still more handsome than average though.  
"It's better for both of us."  
"Okay." Mello simply replied, keeping silent for a moment before he crushed the cigarette butt in the ashtray, stood up, and started walking toward a backdoor. He turned around before he was out of ear from Matt: "I won't be long." he winked. Suddenly, Matt felt a bit leery...

* * *

_**Note:** Aha, what is Mello up to? :D  
Take your guess!  
And thank you to followers/favoriters/reviewers/all readers! *muah*_


	6. Chapter 6

It had been more than twenty minutes that Mello was gone and Matt was starting to feel a bit lonely there, not knowing what was going on, seeing that the cameramen had been sent away so it was probably the end of the date, and running low on cigarettes. Maybe Mello was sick? He had downed his own drink, which was already heavy in booze, half of Lou's, and a few bourbons since then, and he had been obviously quite saturated.

A few girls had passed on the catwalk, but Matt only looked to try not to get bored to death, because he had no interest in girls whatsoever, even if they were particularly pretty. The pole dancer was cool, she had quite amazing tricks and drops, though. You had to have muscle to lift yourself like that...  
Matt drank some more of his glass, since it was the only drink available, he hadn't dared ask for anything else to a waiter and he was thirsty because of the food. Damn, why didn't they bring some water? He regretted it immediately, feeling the booze cloud his brain.

Suddenly the girls left the area as a heavy tune resounded, loud enough to hammer in Matt's chest.  
_Ka Boom Ka Boom, Ka Boom Ka Boom_  
The Marilyn Manson song was literally shaking the walls, and Matt's jaw went slack when Mello appeared shirtless in his leather pants and boots next to the pole, dancing to the music with sultry moves he owned completely. Everyone in the bar started howling and clapping, but Mello had his eyes right on Matt, and the latter was feeling really, really uncomfortable.  
Mello was walking in a sexy way around the pole, one hand around it, and suddenly took some speed and spinned in the air before grabbing the pole between his legs, letting himself fall backward his back against the pole, and slide slowly head down until his hands rested flat on the floor. A foot still hooked on the pole, his other leg descended slowly to make a full split before he freed his foot and knelt, throwing his hair back in a head motion.

Matt was mesmerized. It was such a girly dance and yet Mello completely owned it, making it very male and... sexy and slutty but still so very cool that the redhead didn't know what to think anymore. Hell, he probably couldn't think anymore after the next moves, when Mello slid up in a way so sensual that Matt could feel a boner come.  
He was obviously in for a good one because it was far from being over, and Mello was making sure that he had his full attention, almost making love to that pole and then rising on it using hands and legs until he almost reached the top, and suddenly dropping in a gravity defying trick, his hands letting go to catch himself with his thighs a little lower, his body making a full circle in the air in the process. The guy sure had some training, and guts too, to use tricks like that when he was half drunk. Or he was possibly doing this _because_ he was half drunk.  
Matt had no clue, and his brain wasn't about to start working again, seeing Mello approach on the catwalk, right in his direction. The way he walked, damn... it was crooked in a way but it was so hot...

Matt looked around him, feeling desperate, he was losing it right now and that wasn't good at all. His eyes crossed Danny's who was resting his back against the backdoor's frame. The look in the bodyguard's eyes was somehow puzzled and it didn't bode well, Matt thought.

Soon, the rockstar was on the table, the catwalk stopping a mere inches away, Mello jumping to get closer to Matt, who started, not expecting the musician to take it that far, on all four right in front of him. It was lucky that the table had been cleared of the plates because Matt was sure that Mello would have sent it all crashing on the floor.  
Mello rested on his knees, ass in the air in an inviting position, back bent and his face coming closer to Matt's as he crawled slowly, his smirk back and his eyes half lidded, until their foreheads rested one against the other. The redhead knew that all eyes were on them and he felt terrible for letting this happen, but the problem in his pants prevented him to walk away.

He breathed when the song ended, but unfortunately for him, Mello took that as his cue to straddle him, getting off the table and putting his arms around Matt's neck, their foreheads still touching.  
"Mello, you're wasted."  
"I'm not. I'm not stupid enough to pole dance while being drunk."  
Matt withdrew a bit and he had to admit that Mello looked pretty sober right at the moment. The guy sure could hold his liquor.  
"So you have no excuse to be doing this to me." Matt chuckled because it was really awkward, but still quite funny how hard Mello tried to seduce him. It was probably a premiere for the guy, to have to put some effort in getting someone, since he usually had what he wanted with a snap of his fingers.

Matt tried to push Mello off him but stopped immediately when he saw him grimace.  
"Did you hurt yourself?" he enquired, slightly worried because that drop was insane and Mello had probably been a bit presumptuous doing it.  
"Nah, it's from a few weeks ago, but I suppose that I overdid it tonight and the pain woke up. I'm fine." Mello explained, "I'm really fine here..." he grinned, rolling his hips, making Matt gasp as their crotches rubbed. Mello knew. Fuck.  
"Don't get all worked up, it means nothing, okay?" Matt protested, pushing Mello off him for good this time.  
"It means that you're not indifferent to my charms at least." the musician laughed, mimicking blowing a kiss with a purse of his lips as he sat back at his place. Straightening on the fake leather couch, he grimaced again.  
"Maybe we should head back, if you're in pain." Matt offered.  
"We still have one hour before elimination so half an hour here, and I really want to spend that time with you if you're going tonight."  
"Why? I mean, we won't be seeing each other again and we don't really care about each other, so we could part now and it would be all the same."  
"Because half an hour may be enough to make you want to stay, and I swore I wouldn't ask you to stay twice."  
"Sorry but again: why? If you just want to fuck me that bad, I have to say that you're quite the sexy thing and I wouldn't mind getting physical if that's the last thing that involves me with you, after all, but if I stay, there's no getting physical because I won't give you what you want, and I still might drop off anytime."  
"You don't even know yourself what you want."  
"True."  
Matt's mind was pretty clouded, and he knew he didn't make sense right now. Damn, he was even telling Mello that they could probably fuck before he left after the elimination. What was wrong with him?  
Probably the booze, the atmosphere, and that insane sexy display playing with his emotions... it was time to get a grip.  
"Let's go back." he stood up, giving no other option to Mello.  
The other stood as well, staring at him for a few seconds before making a sign to Danny in the distance.

The drive was silent, but Mello barely refrained a groan as he exited the limo.  
Matt hurried to his side to help him.  
"Are you sure it's gonna be okay? You can't even walk alone." Matt asked, Mello seemingly in a pretty bad shape.  
"Help me to my room." Matt gave him a dubious look, "I promise it's not a trick." Mello added, feeling the redhead's doubts, "Danny is taking care of stuff in town and he won't be back until elimination, that leaves only you to help me."

They walked to the rockstar's apartments unnoticed, everyone being upstairs getting ready for elimination or chatting together, music playing loudly, covering noises of the car and the door.  
"It's lucky they don't see me like that, Cry baby would probably break down in panic." Mello chuckled, his mouth twisting from the pain in his back that came with the small laugh.  
"Do you plan on eliminating him tonight? I mean, that would probably be best for him, he's head over heals for you and the more he stays, the more you will hurt him..." Matt replied, erasing all doubts and theories Mello had made up in his mind about a possible alliance between the two, or Matt having views on Lou. Somehow, he was relieved that things were as simple as they initially seemed. It was all the more fun for him.  
"I can't discuss that with you. But you shouldn't be so concerned about Lou, or anyone for that matter, none of them care about you in return."  
"Is that a reason not to care, in your eyes? You must live in a sad little world if your actions for others are only dictated by what they initially did for you..."  
"Oh, hello Mister Sermonizer... seriously, keep this shit for others." Mello grumbled.  
"Oh no, Mister I'm-Always-Right, I keep this especially for your big fat attitude." the redhead replied, smiling this time, feeling no offence in Mello's words, just a bit of defensiveness.  
Mello smiled back, feigning a huff.

The singer tried to remove his shirt but he could barely lift it over his head so Matt helped, and Mello laid on his stomach on the bed, groaning again in pain. Matt thought that he was probably exaggerating a bit.  
"You don't expect me to give you a back massage, do you?" Matt laughed at the poor attempt, Mello turning his head to give him a falsely indignant look.  
"What? Damn, I take my date to a fancy place, with the limo and all, I do a sexy dance, and I don't even get to have at least a little physical contact? Awww man, you're killing me more than my back right now!" Mello exclaimed, laughing in his pillow.  
"You would probably regret it anyway, I have no clue how to do that." the redhead couldn't help but laugh back.  
"Try, at least! You of all people know how to push the right buttons!" Mello teased him, grabbing Matt's arm and pulling him closer.  
"Don't come complaining when it gets worse!" Matt straddled Mello's ass, not even thinking twice since there was no other way for doing this, and started doing little circles on the singer's lower back with a pressure of his thumbs.  
"Oh fuck... _that_ feels good..." Mello moaned, "Keep doing that Mattie, oh yes... mmh... FUCK YES!"

Matt got off Mello, laughing. "And here I thought you were really in pain!"  
"I am, seriously. But it's true that I had another idea in mind..." the singer rolled on his back and pulled the redhead back to him, the latter, knelt at his side, landing on top of him but straightening right away, this time straddling him at waist level.  
"Don't do that Mello..." Matt said, trying to free his wrist from Mello's grip.  
"You said we could fuck since you're leaving tonight, so why not?"  
"Because elimination is in twenty minutes." Matt knew it was the lamest reason he could give but he was having a hard time right now not giving in. Mello was shirtless, gorgeous, and they were both adults so even if it all looked so wrong, he was starting to want it...  
"I see, sweet Mattie doesn't want a quickie, he wants the big game... so be it. It was now or never so I guess it's a washout... I'll see you at the elimination."  
"I will be gone already. I don't want anymore tricks, you could as well eliminate two other guys and I'd still have to drop in front of the cameras so I'm off now."

Matt stood up from the bed and exited the bedroom.  
As he was heading upstairs, Danny ran after him.  
"Matt! I've got to talk to you about some arrangements Mello made for you since you're leaving tonight, I need you to sign some papers before elimination." he explained, leading Matt outside of the mansion, where a man in suit was waiting with a few papers in hand, "It's Mello's lawyer, Mr Bates. Mello had this arranged right before his... little show off at the Whisky A GoGo."  
"Huh, hi?" Matt addressed the lawyer, unsure what to do at that point. Papers to sign? He had signed the initial contract so that was pretty weird, even more so that Mello had nothing to do with the contract, only the production did, "But I'm not going to eliminations, I'm actually leaving right now."  
"I see..." Danny seemed to think for a few seconds, "Well, that doesn't change anything I guess, please sit in the limo, you'll be better in there."  
"Okay..." Matt entered the car, followed by the lawyer, who started explaining the situation.  
"Mr Jeevas, my client has made these arrangements for you since you will be leaving the show tonight. I'll let you read them right now." the man handed him a single sheet from the ones he was holding.

The more he read, the less he understood what was going on in Mello's mind. What the hell? It was just so completely out of character for the rockstar, but at the same time, maybe he was completely wrong about the guy, he just didn't know anymore.  
"I'm sorry, I can't sign that." the redhead gave the sheet of paper back to Mr Bates, and exited the limo, heading back inside and up the stairs.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Note:** If you never watched the shows, it may be hard to understand how things happen so I will explain it a bit. For the elimination ceremony, the contestants are standing on a small stage together, while the bachelor is facing them with his right hand man who holds the passes and hands them out to him one after the other, each time he calls a contestant. He asks a question that basically means "do you want to stay?", for example Bret Michaels asks if the contestant wants to "rock his world" and then he puts the pass around the contestant's neck if the latter agrees, and most of the time they kiss._

* * *

Mello started when Danny knocked to his door. Damn, he had fallen asleep. Matt had left and he had stayed there, on his bed, thinking, but soon tiredness had overcome him. Quickly, he put his tee shirt back on, combed his hair with his fingers and followed his right hand man downstairs to the elimination room. He sorted out the passes quickly, getting rid of two of them that bore the faces of the ones he wanted out of the mansion tonight and giving them back to Danny, who held them for him during the elimination ceremony.

He contained his surprise to see Matt standing there with the others, but Danny didn't miss the slight smile on his lips before he looked down at his feet, trying to regain his composure. Composure that he lost somehow, now thinking that maybe the redhead had decided to take his leave in front of the cameras.  
Anyway, he would still call him and give him a pass, and see what would happen. Matt was supposed to have signed the papers he had made ready for him before he left, so it was very likely that Matt was indeed wanting to show off a last time before he left for good. That was enough to erase the smile on Mello's lips completely. Fuck it.

Lou almost danced on his way to Mello, to receive the pass from his hands, as his name was called first.  
"Cry baby, will you stay on this ride with me?"  
"Yes yes yes!" Lou bounced, poking his head into the lanyard of the pass.  
Danny could tell that his boss wasn't into what he was doing, forcing himself to entertain the mystery, as he was trying to find the words for every boy he was calling. Finally, he had only Matt's pass in his hands, and there was a slight hesitation before he called him.  
"I still have one pass left, and there are three of you. The one I decided to keep tonight among you three has somehow ticked my interest although he tried very hard not to let his guard down, and I have to say that I'm really curious about him. Matt, can you come down here please?"

Matt went down the little platform where all the boys were standing and walked the few feet separating him from Mello. He stopped right in front of him, holding his hands in his back, and looked at him.  
The musician took the lanyard to which the pass was dangling, ready to put it around Matt's neck, pronouncing the words he had already said twelve times that night, wondering if he would receive the same answer for the thirteenth time.  
"Matt, will you stay on this ride with me?"  
"I've got my helmet on, bring it on Mello." Matt whispered, smirking.  
Mello finally hung the pass to the redhead's neck, but he didn't give him a peck like he had done with all the others. He knew it was off limits with Matt, and he was too surprised that Matt had actually decided to stay to even make the move. Matt smiled wider, and went back to his place.  
"Jess, Adam, your ride ends here." Mello barely acknowledged the two remaining boys, who left not long after that.  
He shared a beer as he was supposed to with the contestants that were saved before he left for good and called it a night.

"Danny, what did Matt say exactly?"  
Mello was undressing in his room, having asked the tall man to follow him for some explanations as to what had happened between the moment Matt had left his room to when he was back inside.  
"He refused to sign." Danny simply said.  
"Why?"  
"He just said he couldn't sign. Nothing more."  
"The guy is here for the money, I offer him an indemnity equivalent to a full year in this mansion since he's leaving and he doesn't want to sign?"  
"Maybe he wasn't after the money in the end."  
"Mmh, I don't really get this guy, to be honest. I think he doesn't know himself why he's here, that's why he can't decide to stay or leave, but I thought that the money would at least be a good incentive... I ask him to stay, he doesn't want to, I make sure he can sustain himself once he leaves since he came here for the money, and he decides to stay, seriously, the guy is bipolar or something."  
"Wait, you actually asked him to stay?" Danny was quite surprised by this.  
"I even said _please..._ see, I was nice. But no, he didn't want to spend a minute more here. He left my room ready to pack and now he's still here, not that I complain, but I just don't get him."

Danny opened wide eyes. Mello had used the word _please_? It was probably starting freezing in hell now...  
Not that he would mention it, because Mello would totally deny it, but even if Matt's behaviour was a mystery to Mello, Danny had his idea about it all. That he would keep to himself, and see if he was right. The guy had come from cold as ice to coming in Mello's room and even if he was pretty positive that they had done nothing of a sexual nature because he had found Mello asleep with his pants on, the bed barely touched and no condoms around the place (hell, he even knew his boss' sex life habits, that was gross), the progression was quick from both parts, and instead of hacking each other up (well, at least Mello would have gutted anyone talking to him the way the redhead did, he didn't know for the latter) they just kept coming back for more.  
But you never know with Mello, tell him your theory, and he will prove you wrong just to piss you off, even if it goes against his own well being. So Danny retreated without a word.

Maybe this Matt would teach his boss a lesson or two, which couldn't be a bad thing. The way things were, Mello was getting more and more left out, even by his own bandmates, when it came to having social relationships, because he always acted like a dick. People got tired of it, no matter if he was a rockstar. Danny couldn't blame him completely, being surrounded by fake people had made Mello wary, cynical and uncaring, to the point that he barely made a difference with real friends like the other musicians in the band, and treated them like shit sometimes. He hated being conversational for the sake of appearances, he knew that people wanted something from him so he found it perfectly normal to get something in return, and getting admired by millions of fans had made the rest concerning the attitude. He was in the music business since he was seventeen and had grown up while having to act like an adult on a daily basis, and balancing things had been pretty difficult, especially for someone like Mello who didn't deal well with authority and obligations. Now Mello was just a teenager in his head still, caught in an adult body that had grown up faster than his mind. He was responsible on many levels, but relationships were still where things sinned.

Danny knew the person deep down inside, and that was one of the main reasons why he was still here today. He had been a mere roady at first but soon he and Mello had bonded, and with his first consequent contract with the band, he had personally hired Danny, and never failed him since that day. Danny was fifteen years older than the musician, which technically couldn't make him a father figure, but he acted like one more often than not.  
Their relationship was very professional, Danny knew who the boss was, and at the same time he knew he could get away with more than Mello would accept from anyone else.  
Sometimes, Danny wondered if the reason for it was that he had so much to rat out about Mello that the musician had no other choice, but he liked to think that Mello actually knew who his real friends were.

The little nap he had had earlier prevented Mello to find sleep right now, and after tossing and turning for a good half hour, he finally decided to take some fresh air outside, feeling sticky and too hot. Sliding in simple jeans to cover his lower half, he walked down the corridor of the mansion and downstairs, tying his hair in a ponytail, freeing his neck from the damp locks sticking to it.

A faint light caught his attention as he walked past the main room, and he bent in the doorframe to see better, squinting his eyes. He didn't need much time to discern a small gaming device, and knew that Matt was more than likely the one using it. He approached, jumping over the back of the couch to plop down next to the boy, making the latter jump in surprise.  
"Fuck, you scared me!" Matt whispered, trying to keep his voice down despite the initial shock.  
"Can't sleep?" Mello asked, taking in the view of Matt in black tight boxers, legs crossed, the console in his lap giving a sufficient light for him to see.  
"Too early for me." the redhead grumbled, sighing in defeat as he saw he had lost his game.  
"You're really not helping with the gamer cliché, night owl and all..." the singer teased him.  
"Blame me..."

Matt restarted his game, trying to ignore Mello sitting beside him, but it was proving to be really difficult with the way he glued his thigh to his own, bending over his shoulder to watch the screen. It became completely awkward when the rockstar's arm slid around his shoulders. Matt knew it was only to get his arm out of the way to see better, but still, it wasn't exactly easy to cope with the intimacy when he was trying not to give in to his instincts.  
Now, that wasn't so innocent anymore, when Mello started to play with a red lock, his focus on the game totally gone, his fingers lightly stroking Matt's scalp. The feeling was damn good, but it was completely wrong, and he hated Mello for taking things in that direction again.  
"What are you doing?" Matt clasped the device closed and threw it on the coffee table, plunging both of them in the dark.  
"What I want." Mello simply replied with a smirk that Matt couldn't see, but somehow, he knew it was there by the amused tone in the musician's voice.  
"I got that... but you know my position on that point."  
"I know. Doesn't hurt to try, does it?"  
"You're impossible."  
"You're a windsock."  
"What?"  
"I thought you'd be gone before the elimination ceremony and there you were, taking your pass. Mattie-Puppy, you really don't know what you want, do you?"  
"To be honest, no, I didn't. Now I think I quite made my mind, but..."  
"But?"  
"But I just hope I'm not making a mistake."  
"Hey mystery guy, I'm more of a straightforward type of person so if you're planning on talking riddles, you're losing me on that one." Mello's hand buried deeper in Matt's hair, resting on the back of his head and slightly massaging his scalp.  
"Stop it Mello." Matt said weakly, unable to bring himself to push the hand away.  
"You like it." the other replied, his other hand suddenly sliding down the redhead's abs to the hem of his boxers, a finger making its way under the waistband.

Matt's willpower was stuck between heaven and hell, and the more Mello teased him, the less he could decide which way to go.  
Mello knew it. He could feel the boy get limper every second, and he wasn't close to stop what he was doing, seeing as he got the expected results. He could feel his lower half wake up and he wished he could see in the dark because those abs, that skin, that pretty face, they had to be so fucking hot and flustered right now... the hairs under his index were soft, and he played a bit more with the curls before going for the real thing.

He barely had his hand on Matt's cock, appreciating the size of the half erected member, that he landed on his back against the arm of the couch, Matt finally putting a stop to the ministrations.  
"I said you wouldn't get this from me, and I meant it, Mello. Lou's upstairs if you really need to get laid right now."

Mello was quite surprised to see the redhead regain his self-control. For a moment, he was positive he had won their little game, and the redhead slamming on the brakes was pretty unexpected. He refrained the urge to force himself on him to show he wasn't about to be discouraged so easily, because even if he felt deeply hurt by the rejection – no one had ever refused him any sexual favour, and he usually got what he wanted pretty quickly – he also knew that the anger of being denied was something hateful he didn't want Matt to witness. He had almost been sued for rape once because he was unable to control himself, and Danny had made sure with countless scolding and hours of therapy that he would never, ever do that again.  
He hadn't raped the guy per se, but being used to get legs to open with a little persuasion when his partner was revealing to be a bit difficult, he just kept on pushing and pushing, ignoring the guy's refusal, trapped under him, until the guy broke down and started bawling, not wanting to go further than a simple make out, alarming Danny on the other side of the door. He had come in, pulled Mello off the guy, and it took a little bribing to get the guy not to file a complaint, and that was probably the only time that Danny had managed to get Mello to apologize.

Mello was only nineteen at the time, and he had a better control over his emotions and hormones now at twenty-six, but damn, that redhead brought the worst out of him for sure.  
Breathing, he sat properly on the couch.  
"It isn't Lou that I want right now."  
"Too bad then." Matt whispered, hardly regaining his composure, still very turned on, and also amazed that he could stop things before they went really serious. He had doubted himself when he had felt Mello's hand in his boxers because he had to admit it, he wanted it, and it made everything harder, in every aspect. But he also knew that he wasn't here to get in Mello's pants. There was something more to his presence here since the lawyer thing.  
Putting all the pieces of everything positive he had witnessed until now together, something got started in him that he couldn't deny, and he had decided to stay, knowing that it would probably lead him nowhere considering how Mello treated things, but still... he couldn't help it, it was so much like him to think things would end well no matter what.

"Still, you didn't make it clear why you decided to stay." Mello asked suddenly after a long silence.  
"Because I'm a masochist, obviously." Matt chuckled.  
"Is it so shameful that you won't tell me?" the singer was serious, Matt could hear it in his voice.  
"It could change a lot of things if you knew so I don't think I'm gonna tell you. Not now at least."  
"Okay. I'll respect that. But before you decide to go, or I eliminate you - we never know how things will go – promise to tell me then. I'm really curious."  
"Promise."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Note:** Sorry I'm posting late today! Thank you everyone that's reading/reviewing/favoriting/following, that's good to share with you!_

* * *

Matt was surprised to find Lou still sleeping sprawled over his blanket, just the way the boy was when Matt had left the room after fetching his Vista to go play downstairs. It was almost 3am, and he had expected the boy to be undergoing Mello's sexual assault at the moment.  
He made himself comfortable over the blanket as well, the heat in California being a bit much even at night for him, and drifted to sleep pretty fast.

**DAY THREE – 13 contestants / 2 to be eliminated**

The rock tune surprised everyone in their sleep, and the line of boys in the main room wasn't pretty when Mello came in to inform them of the program of the day. He surveyed the boys with a grin, taking note that they all slept in boxers except one that had sweater pants on, and one that obviously slept naked because he had jeans on, that he had probably slid in before running downstairs.

"What a nice view to start the day!" he chuckled, noticing some morning woods that could barely be hidden behind chaste hands. "After yesterday's assault course, I thought you'd like something a little less violent, and I really want to see into your own little world, so today, guys, you're gonna show me what you can do. I want to know if you can sing, or dance, or do triple back flips, I don't care what it is, but show me your special thing, your passion, what takes most of your time and you think you're good at. It has to be something you can show me here in this mansion though. Danny will provide anything you need so you have ten minutes to make a list and hand it out to him."  
Danny distributed notebooks and pens, and most of the boys started writing frantically, already knowing what they'd do. Some were, on the contrary, totally at loss.  
"Fuck, I have no idea..." the tall brunette with the tribal tattoo said under his breath, looking at the white page in his lap with despair.

Lou was grinning, handing out his list in seconds to Danny, who looked at it and refrained shaking his head. What he just read confirmed what he thought about the boy from the beginning.  
Matt wasn't so sure, gaming couldn't count as something he could show off so he had quickly set this one aside to focus on what he did best in second place, still not knowing if that was a good idea. Well, at least it counted more as a performance than playing video games. Danny gave him a dubious look when he had the sheet of paper under his eyes.

When everyone had made their list and Danny gathered them all, Mello stood up to leave.  
"I'll leave you at your preparations... make sure to be stunning, because the winner will go on a special date with me and I'll show him _my _ special ability. Well, one that doesn't happen in a bedroom at least..."  
The boys whistled as the musician exited the mansion.

Everyone began to prepare for the abilities show right after breakfast.  
Matt didn't have anything to prepare, the stuff he had asked for was set up and he only had to wait for the show to begin and his turn to come. The more comment he got, the more lame he felt with his idea. Maybe that was a really bad one but he had nothing else in store if that had to happen here in the mansion.  
He could have shown his driving abilities on a karting course, if they had been allowed outdoor activities. But even that seemed pretty lame anyway, compared to what some others were planning.  
So he just lounged, looking at the others buzzing around, feeling slightly depressed. Now that he had decided to stay, it would be pretty bad to be eliminated... at least not so fast.

Mello arrived in the middle of the afternoon.  
"Are you ready boyyyys?" he yelled, sitting on the couch, as Danny brought a bottle of bourbon and a box of chocolate.  
Several voices rose to notify that they were indeed ready, covering the shuffling and whispers going on behind the large curtain that had been set up as a made-up stage.  
"Bring it on, I'm waiting!"

A techno tune began as the curtain opened. Catwalk was dressed in a suit, and started walking fashion show style, taking his jacket off and throwing it over his shoulder, the other hand in his pocket in a nonchalant manner. He posed a little before exiting the stage, and the music stopped.  
"Okay, I hope it gets better..." Mello sighed, talking loud enough for everyone to hear. Catwalk made a face, disappointed. "I'm a model, what did he expect me to do?" he whined.

The second to go was the brunette with the tattoo, setting the tone immediately with nunchakus.  
"NOT IMPRESSED!" Mello shouted, stopping the display in the middle as the boy didn't even seem like he had touched the items before.

Mello then had his portrait drawn, a country dance, a juggler, and various other little shows that annoyed him to no end. "Is there someone to save me from boredom in here?" he yawned, stirring and resting his feet on the coffee table.

Another song started, very cabaret style, very sensual, and the curtain opened on Lou, dressed with only very tight pink dance boxers, black leg warmers and a feather boa dangling around his neck. The petite boy really worked the outfit, and proved that he rocked his little show as well as he danced in a sultry way, doing backbends, splits and wheels, hands sliding on his chest and shaved legs, making cute little expressions and blowing a kiss to Mello when the song ended, taking his boxers off and throwing them to the musician, who laughed out loud when he saw his name written with a marker on the boy's butt who was running away, his hands hiding his package, giggling.  
Danny shook his head. The boy was a stripper.  
"Now that's what I call a talent! Looks like someone here is a professional, isn't it baby?" he clapped, "Whoever is going next better be good because that's the best I have seen so far!"  
Matt knew he was screwed...

He wanted the date. He hadn't stayed here for nothing, and to verify the things he believed in, he had to spend time with Mello. But damn was he screwed if he kept his own run the way it was. It was still very risky to go on a date with Mello because Matt didn't want things to end up in bed, and Mello tried real hard to make him give in, but he believed in his own self control, and would go for it. Even if that was totally not his ground to do what he was about to do.

When the curtain opened, a sluggish bluesy Mötorhead tune playing, Matt was turning his back to the musician, and all Mello could see was him standing there doing nothing. Slowly, Matt lifted the hem of his tee-shirt, rolling his back muscles in the process, pulling it over his head even slower, and, his arms back by his sides, let it fall on the floor from the tip of his fingers in a lascivious way, glancing over his shoulder at Mello with half lidded eyes and a slight smirk.

"Oh yeah Mattie, I love that..." Mello whistled and straightened in the couch, his elbows resting on his thighs, eager to see where this was going.

The redhead took something on a small table in front of him, and turned to face the target on his left, a dart between each finger section, on both hands.  
Fast, he sent each dart in the target, stopping when both his hands were empty.  
"I don't know what you're doing, but if you keep on being so sexy, I just don't care what you do babe..."

Matt gave him another smirk, and went back to the table, his back hiding what he was doing. It only lasted two or three seconds before he was back face to the dartboard.  
He looked at Mello, stirred a cigarette from the pack in his pocket, sending said pack on the table, and lit it, very Marlboro cowboy style.  
He then faced Mello, the stick dangling between his lips, keeping his steps slow and trying to be sexy, which obviously worked, he could tell by the way Mello 's eyes were focused on him, almost on edge.  
"Wanna see my ammos?" Matt almost moaned around the cigarette, unbuttoning his jeans always so slowly, exhaling in Mello's direction, never using his fingers to smoke, and plunged his hand in his boxer, fumbling a bit in there just for the show.  
"Holy fuck show me what you got baby..." the rockstar was laughing loud and howling at the sight, totally hooked by Matt's efforts.

His hand came off his underwear with some more darts, and, looking at the board, still facing Mello, he sent them all, making sure he showed his biceps, exaggerating a bit to keep the show on a soft parody side. He was trying to pull sexy, but all his effects relied on the comic of the situation, and he knew he was doing good so far.

Matt turned his back to Mello again, and slid off his jeans sensually. He closed the distance between himself and the target, and removed his boxer, barely giving Mello a view on his ass before he unhooked the dartboard and placed it in front of his crotch, walking back to the front of the small stage. The darts were planted in a heart shape...

"Holy shit that was hilarious... and sexy... Mattie you're really something, I loved that!" Mello was curling up with laughter. Shit, that guy was almost gone last night and now he was pulling this? That would have been such a waste...  
"The heart was lame though..." the singer dried his watery eyes and grabbed a chocolate, still chuckling. "Come here baby."  
Matt approached, the target still hiding his middle, Mello standing up to walk around the coffee table.  
"This one's for you sweetie." He placed the chocolate between his teeth and caught the redhead's face between his palms. But Matt was quicker and took the chocolate before Mello got to kiss him, winking at him before running off the room, Mello slapping his butt before he was out of reach.  
"Hey!" the redhead yelped.

Two more shows and the ability contest was over.  
"Okay guys, I appreciated the efforts, even if some put a lot more than others into what they did, but I have to say that once again, Matt won this challenge. Don't be jealous, you can only blame yourselves, and there will be a lot of challenges to come that you can win if you bust your asses."  
"As if that was surprising..." Catwalk huffed, "If I had known that it was about showing ass I would have gotten naked too!"  
"If you think it's all about the ass, then I'm afraid you're heading for elimination honey..." Mello hated bad losers, and what could he do anyway? It was obvious that Matt had thrown the best show, it didn't matter that he had already won the previous challenge, Mello was only being fair. Okay, if Matt hadn't been in his favourites, he might have cheated the results but that wasn't the point right now, and it wouldn't have been easy to do.  
He could manipulate the show as he wanted, but still, when that would be broadcast, the spectators would see the obvious and giving the prize to someone else than Matt would seem really tricky.

Danny stared a few seconds at his boss. It wasn't all about the ass? Either Mello was taking advantage of the situation to build a rivalry, as he was expected from the production, either something was going on with Matt. Considering the way Mello had been during the redhead's show, very, very attentive and obviously enjoying it, and how Mello had reacted to the boy until now, he believed more in the second option. Mello had never been interested in anything that much since music.  
He would have to talk to him though, because Mello had to balance the show, he couldn't be all over one of the boys right away and forget the others, but the musician could be really obsessive.

"Matt, Mello's waiting for you in front of the mansion." Danny called from downstairs around 8pm.  
The redhead exited the bedroom where he had been playing on his console, and joined Danny in the main room. The latter handed him a helmet and a motorcycle leather jacket.  
"Put this on, you will need it."  
Matt was quite excited by the prospect of riding with Mello because he loved motorcycles, but couldn't afford one although he had his license.  
But the excitation reached his nether regions too fast for him to keep them at bay when he took in the sight of Mello all dressed in black leather, riding his custom Honda, helmet on his hip, as Danny opened the door. Holy fuck. Now, holding on to Mello during the ride seemed like it was going to be Matt's personal hell...

Mello didn't miss the blush on Matt's face and smirked, satisfied.  
"You look good in leather Mattie." he complimented the redhead. It was true, Matt looked so fuckable right now with the jacket Mello had had delivered especially for him. It was more for protection at first, but still, spoiling the boy wasn't an option he would neglect. The white tee-shirt Matt wore made a stark contrast with the black garment, complimenting his hair.  
Damn, Mello was starting to get used to that fiery mop...

Matt climbed behind Mello while he was putting his helmet on.  
"Come closer baby." the musician reached behind himself and pushed Matt's ass closer, the redhead's crotch now fully rubbing against the leather pants, to Mello's full satisfaction.  
He waved at Danny, who was about to follow in a van with the camera crew, before riding away.

The motorcycle came to a halt, to Matt's relief. Mello had given him a bitch of a ride, taking curves roughly and speeding just to scare him sometimes, forcing him to hold on tighter to the musician. Matt also felt a bit troubled by the way Mello had put his hand over his each time they stopped at a red light, his gloved thumb stroking the back of Matt's hand lazily while his other hand stayed on the steering.

_Aphrodite Pole Dance Studio _  
Well, at least Matt knew what was coming...  
They climbed a few stairs, and the redhead couldn't refrain his eyes from going wide at the sight: a small studio lit up with candles everywhere, two poles in the middle at good distance, and between the two, small carpets piled up to make a comfortable area, and what was obviously a picnic installed on them.  
"I didn't expect something like that." he whispered, quite taken aback by the romantic set up that was to his opinion very far from what he expected from Mello.  
Taking his jacket off, he left it on the floor next to the door, where Mello had left his, along with helmets.

He spotted a guitar on a small stand in a corner as he turned around. He was now a bit confused.  
Mello chuckled: "You already saw what I can do with a pole so I thought that I had to add something more, and music is my first ability after all..." he pulled Matt by the hand to the carpets, and sat, gesturing to the redhead to do the same.  
"Let's have a drink before I start talking you into having sex with me." Mello handed a glass of white wine to Matt, laughing.  
"I knew I would regret it..." the redhead laughed as well, even if he knew that Mello half meant it anyway. Or maybe completely and Matt was a fool to put himself into such a situation...


	9. Chapter 9

_**Note:** I couldn't post this chapter yesterday because I couldn't upload anything in the download manager. I don't know if I will post chapter 10 today though, but if I do it will be later tonight (Paris time). Actually, if I had posted chapter 9 yesterday, there would have been 900 words less, because I initially had planned to stop it after 'marrow'. After writing almost all of chapter 10, it didn't seem right to cut it there, I thought it was preferrable to cut it at the end of the day and start 10 on a new day._  
_But chapter 10 being shorter of 900 words now, I need to work on it more, and since I'm behind, not being able to write as I had planned this week end, I'm not sure it will be done tonight._  
_But don't worry, still a chapter a day from now on minus yesterday's skipping :)_

* * *

"I'm gonna kill myself!"  
"Take your hands off the bar, I've got your back!"  
"NO!"  
Mello was laughing so hard, seeing Matt holding on to the pole in an awkward position, several feet above the ground, unable to complete the trick the musician was trying to teach him.  
Grabbing his middle with both arms, he pulled the redhead away from the pole and helped him get his feet safely on the floor.  
"And they filmed everything..." Matt couldn't believe that he had done this in front of the cameras. The whole country was about to see him make a fool of himself, great...  
"After playing with your ammos I would think that nothing would ever bother you anymore, camera-wise..." Mello chuckled, Matt's face reddening.  
"I'm so sorry Mum!" Matt said in direction of the camera, hiding his face in his palms.  
It was so easy to forget those damn cameras. Most of them were not in plain sight in the mansion, but even the guys armed to the teeth following them out each time were easily set aside for some reason. It was all the more annoying to forget that you were watched and should be careful what you do or say...

"Your mum is watching the show?" Mello asked genuinely.  
"No comment." Matt was on the defensive, ready to be made fun of.  
"I was only asking, I mean, it's cute."  
Matt gave him a look but Mello was only smiling, without malice. Fuck, this smile...

They started picking at the food, having some more drinks, chatting about all and nothing, Matt quickly understanding that Mello was keeping it safe for the cameras, not really knowing why but he appreciated it nonetheless. Only sexual innuendos, bad jokes and light topics...

"It didn't look so hard at first... damn, how long have you been training to get those moves? And how do you do not to get bruises?" Matt asked, pointing at the pole.  
"Years... it just started out as a bet and well... I'm not the type to get to the gym or workout, I don't really have time for that, and it became quickly addictive to be honest, and bringing a pole is easy anywhere on tour, and it barely takes twenty minutes to install it so, yeah..."  
"I see. I wish I could have seen you as a beginner, although I'm pretty sure that you did best than me anyway." the redhead chuckled.  
"I had less clothes on, you can't get a good grip with them on but I didn't even try to get you to take them off, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have succeeded..." Mello winked.  
"Since when does that stop you from trying?" Matt laughed, although he didn't exactly know why Mello seemed to calm down on the sexual harassment little by little. Not that he didn't appreciate it, but he still had his reservations, it had been too much too soon and now Mello was so cool with everything that it was a sharp contrast. Matt could even swear things were starting to look slightly romantic. Not that he didn't like it either...

At some point Mello stood up to fetch his guitar, and started playing a song. Matt didn't really know Mind Pollution's music, except for their biggest hits that no one could have avoided on TV or the radio, but he did recognise this song. He couldn't say he hated their music, it was okay, just not his thing. But this way, with only the guitar and Mello's voice, it was quite nice. Mello was a good singer, and without all the after production side, the song sounded more to his likings, without the aggressive drums and annoying background vocals and stuff.  
He was an old school type of music lover: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Blüe Öyster Cult... hell, the most violent band he listened to was probably Uriah Heep...

After some more songs, the picnic being over, they headed for Mello's motorcycle outside.  
"Hold on real strong now because that's gonna be a tough ride baby." Mello whispered to Matt's ear before mounting, waiting for his passenger to get on behind him. When he was sure that Matt had a good grip, he started the engine.

The ride through town was somehow normal, but as soon as the city's exit appeared, Mello speeded up, leaving the camera van far behind, taking the fastlane's curve in a way that had Matt grip his waist so tightly that the redhead felt a chuckle shake Mello's stomach. He also felt a cell phone vibrate in the singer's pocket at some point, probably Danny wanting to know what Mello was up to as he escaped unwanted eyes.

They ended up stopping in a place that was quite desert and dark, and Matt's eyes took some time to adjust, when he removed his helmet. Mello took it from his hand and hung it on one side of the steering, the other side holding his own.  
Soon, Matt saw the city lights below, and guessed that they were on a hill or something.

"Stop shouting Danny." Mello said as he picked up his phone that was buzzing again, "We're alright, and we'll be back before elimination, don't worry." he clasped it closed, shoving it in his pocket before turning to Matt.

The latter didn't have time to dwell on the reason why they were here because Mello immediately made it pretty obvious, pulling him by the hand against himself, his other arm encircling his waist.

Now, that was going to be really, really difficult for Matt to keep his train of thought clear of any sexual aspect. He perfectly knew where this was going, and his body refused to push Mello away: he was screwed.  
Or maybe it was just the right time for things to move forward?  
After all, Mello had drove away from the cameras, he wasn't putting on a show, and he had been quite respectful until now, so maybe there was something?

"Stop overthinking it." Mello chuckled.  
"Is my mind bugged or something?" Matt replied, shaking his head with a smile.  
"Anyone would have kissed me already, and you're standing there still trying to figure things out. Stop listening to your brain, sometimes it's good to just follow your body's needs you know..."  
"Sometimes? You don't do sometimes, you _always_ follow your body's needs, as far as I saw until now." the redhead laughed.  
"It's not always my body talking..." the musician's eyes became soft all of a sudden, his arms holding Matt closer as he approached his lips to Matt's.  
Matt melted. Something in the back of his head was still waving caution flags but the last hours, days, had been too much play with his hormones and he was wanting this so much right now, it couldn't be so bad?  
He complied, his hands finding Mello's chest as he tilted his head to kiss Mello.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"  
Mello landed on his ass, Matt pushing him back hard, anger on his face.  
He had almost kissed him. This asshole. Now he just wanted to slap him until he bled.

Their mouthes had been about to meet when Matt saw that little smirk on Mello's lips. That fucking victorious smirk that said it all about the game he had been playing. Playing Matt.  
The redhead was so mad right now. And hurt.

"Drive me back." Matt didn't really have a choice but to go back behind Mello, there was no way he could find a cab here.  
"You're such a princess." the singer huffed, still smirking, dusting his leather pants as he stood up from the ground.  
"I don't think calling me anything is the right thing to do right now. How can you do that? How can you play all romantic just to get in my pants? Is that all the pride you have?"  
"What does it have to do with pride?" Mello put his helmet on, handing out the other one to Matt.  
"I don't know, maybe the fact that you lied all along, not even caring about me at all, just your own little ass, no matter how much you hurt me?"  
"Oh come on! Don't tell me you feel hurt just because I went your way to get what I wanted, toughen up baby because fairytales only happen in books, and that's real life here. No one ever does that if they don't want to get in your pants!"  
Matt stood still a few seconds beside the motorcycle, stunned by what he had just heard.  
The hurt he was feeling wasn't exactly what it had been at first now, there was something more to it, and he hated it.  
Silently, he climbed behind Mello, and tried to hold on to him the least possible on the ride to the mansion.

Danny was waiting in front of the mansion when they arrived, and he didn't miss the tension between the two. Mello looked like his usual self, but Matt was clearly bothered. He made sure Matt entered, and followed Mello to the backdoor. He needed to know what had happened, just to be prepared if Mello had fucked up again.

"Where did the both of you go?" Danny enquired.  
"Somewhere around Griffith Park"  
"I see... little hill, nice view, very romantic. That is, until you fuck him on the ground, right? You really have to stop treating him like that, these guys are mostly here for fame but he is obviously not and somehow I think he's genuine, you can't play him like this..."  
"Danny, he decided to stay, he knew what he was getting into."  
Mello had the point, Danny had to admit it, and he had a feeling that Mello wasn't about to see what he did wrong. That didn't mean he wouldn't try to get some sense into him.

"What did you do to him?" the tall man asked, not even bothering to beat around the bush.  
"Nothing." Mello sighed, plopping on his bed, grabbing a box of chocolate, "That's the problem."  
"Don't tell me you thought that your little display of romance would be enough? Mello, he's not stupid..."  
Danny saw all the footages, all the time, so he knew what Mello had pulled to get to Matt.  
"Maybe he's not as smart as you credit him for because I almost got him, it was an ass' hair before I got my way with him."  
"Oh, and what got it waxed for you then?"  
"I probably shouted for victory too soon, but let me tell you, he was mush in my arms so I'm not that bad at this romance thing after all, that's good to know." Mello grinned, making Danny facepalm. His boss really was a bastard, and others were just test dummies for him...  
What more could he say?

But if Mello was deaf to his sermon, Matt at least may not be to his warnings.  
He left Mello's room and decided to talk to the redhead before the elimination ceremony. For some reason, he knew that Matt wouldn't be gone tonight, at least not by Mello's decision, the musician had way too much fun to get rid of him so soon. But if Matt wasn't already packing by himself, which Danny thought he was because no one in his right mind would stay after being treated like that, he would make sure he did, before he got really broken. Mello could be worse than an army tank if he decided to use someone to the marrow.

"Matt, can I talk to you for a sec?" the tall man poked his head in the first bedroom where Matt was playing on his Vita, laid over the blanket. He was quite surprised to see him so calm and with his suitcase obviously still open and messy under the bed.  
Matt paused the game and stood up, wondering what Mello wanted him to sign this time.

"I partly know what happened with Mello, and I'm sorry that he did that to you. And I'm afraid he doesn't realise that what he did was wrong, so I think it would be better if you leave now, because he has no intention of stopping. I know how he can be, and he will hurt you more than that, it's only a beginning if you stay-"  
"I'm fine." Matt cut him. Danny had a few seconds halt before he could speak again, quite taken aback.  
"Seriously? I know he's been playing you and I saw your face during the date, you weren't playing, you were into it. I hope you're not thinking that he will change for you or worse, ready to accept anything just to be with him just like Lou does, because Mello will never do that. Neither will he change, or even stay with someone. He doesn't give anything but he takes it all, and although he has good sides, right now he's not in a state of mind where he's going to let his good sides show-"  
Matt cut him again: "I didn't see you warn Lou, so why are you telling me this?"

Danny looked at Matt's face, trying to decipher something in him, because he really didn't get the guy at all. Of course, he had kept for himself the fact that Mello had a lot more interest in Matt than he had ever had for anyone, but he was starting to doubt his own first intuition with Mello's latest actions. In fact, it was much more like Mello to be an asshole like he had just been than someone who would go out of his ways, like Danny had previously imagined. He wasn't sure anymore what to think.

"Lou is a professional stripper and I'm pretty sure he knows what he's doing. He may get worked up most of the time, but he takes it because he wants something in return, and it's not Mello's love. He's just a hardcore groupie that wants to date his idol and brag about it, and eventually get his ass pulled out of the shitty life he's living right now. He wants a trophy and a savior, not love. I have nothing to say to kids like him, he's already too jaded."  
"Oh, and unlike him I'm worth your time?"  
"It's written all over your face that you're a romantic guy with a good heart."  
"So what? It doesn't mean that I can't stand for myself."  
"What do you expect from him? It's not the money otherwise you would have accepted to sign the offer and left, and you're not after fame, or maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see you doing that, and I'm pretty good at guessing people because that's my job."  
"Says the guy that has no clue why I'm here." Matt chuckled.  
"He won't eliminate you tonight, so just know that if you feel the need to get over with this show, you will have to do it by yourself."  
"I don't. I'm good here."

Danny shook his head. What did this guy want from Mello? He needed to know. Part of him was still protective over Mello and if he was totally wrong about Matt, then maybe the redhead was up to something he shouldn't underestimate, and stay on his guards with the boy. But it sounded off. No matter how much he wanted to keep his guard on, Matt didn't seem much of a threat, so he had to insist.

"I need to know. Just between me and you, what do you expect from Mello? I can't see you pull off tricks or anything, but I'm here to be at his side, so be honest."  
"Honest? I'm not even wanting anything from him! What is it with you all here? Always wanting something from someone, or expecting to be used? You're saying Lou is jaded, but you're not better you know." Matt was getting irritated, "I'm just taking a day at a time and see what happens, and yes, he hurt me earlier, but I can't even blame him, seeing how even you, said caretaker, are expecting me to be after something. How could he be different if he's surrounded by people who see the possible threats before even knowing the person?"

Matt left Danny speechless in the corridor and fetched his console on the bed before plopping there again, waiting for elimination in a few moments.  
The bodyguard needed a few seconds to get back to his senses, not really knowing if he should be happy or sad about what he just heard. Matt really was genuine. And possibly the strongest person in this house, emotion-wise. But he was right. Danny had never considered things in that light, but now he felt guilty for Mello's behaviour. Maybe he hadn't been as wise as he thought, and instead of protecting him, maybe he should push him forward in another direction?


	10. Chapter 10

**_Note: _**_Sorry for not posting yesterday, chapter 10 was written, and a good part of 11 as well, but I couldn't decide where to make the cut, and had to proofread, and it was late already, and I was too exhausted to do so. BUT you will have two chapters today instead :)_  
_Chapter 11 needs a little proofread and will be posted later when I'm done. As you will see, the end of this chapter is a bit complicated, and the next one is even worse, hence the extra work to make sure I don't get confused myself in all the feelings and intentions of the characters._

_Thank you so much for all the feedback, it's really great and really helpful! Please do review what's next, I'm writing out of my comfort zone and really want to know if everything seems logical and accurate for you. I've got the brain of a goldfish so not getting lost in what I'm describing is actually really hard for me XD  
_

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**DAY FOUR – 11 contestants / 1 to be eliminated**

Matt was in shower when the rock tune resounded, along with Mello's voice.  
"Boyyys, breakfast's ready!" the musician was shouting from downstairs.

The elimination had been quite unsurprising the evening before, two of the guys that Mello liked least leaving the mansion. The only funny part was that Mello had totally forgotten their names and Danny had to mutter them under his breath while standing next to Mello as usual.  
Mello had given a slight smirk along with a pass to the redhead, who had barely replied with a defying look.

Weirdly enough, Matt had slept really well, and it was becoming less crowded in here so all in all, he was good. Still a bit hurt, but good.  
He nonchalantly finished showering, and headed downstairs a good ten minutes after the call. He was almost disappointed that he wasn't the only one being late. Maybe he did want to piss Mello off...

Seeing as everyone was heading for the kitchen, he followed.

"Okay babes, today is about chilling at home. I know you have all made yourselves comfortable in this mansion by now, and so now that you're all settled, I want to see you in everyday life, if we can call this everyday life that is... I'll be hanging out with you here all day, and it starts with having breakfast together. Danny had everything delivered fresh this morning so suit yourself and take a seat."  
"I'd rather have you for breakfast..." the brunette with the tribal tattoo purred, passing in Mello's back and taking the seat at his right.  
"You're trying to bite more than you can chew sweetie." Mello replied, unfazed, barely looking at him. Some laughters were heard around the table but quieted down quickly, almost everyone trying to fuss over Mello.

Matt poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at one of the available seats, thanking Lou inwardly for taking the one at Mello's left and leaving this one free, as the petite boy stormed right in front of him to take the spot before anyone else.  
Once sat, he grabbed a pastry and started eating slowly. He wasn't about to join the attendance crew around Mello, the other guys already smothering the musician. Matt could tell that he was starting to get irritated. It was quite surprising, Matt would have thought that he liked being served and ass-kissed. Well, maybe this was too much, even for Mello...  
Mello ended up cutting it all by sending everyone at their place, so he could eat without being asked if he needed anything more or have his toasts buttered by someone else. Hell, someone would end up chewing for him at this rate.

Matt wasn't really feeling concerned by the babbling around him either, a mix of seductive catch phrases addressed to Mello and uninteresting banalities about life here or what was for breakfast.  
Still idly looking at his cup, he suddenly felt eyes on him, and it made him quite uneasy. He didn't want to look, and he knew it was Mello anyway so he wouldn't give him satisfaction by looking back and continued ignoring him.

At some point, Matt stood up to get some more coffee, and to his relief, he saw that Mello was now focused on Lou. After hearing Danny talk about the boy, Matt was now seeing him under a very different light. He could only agree with the bodyguard, especially since he had seen Lou's little show the day before: there was no way he would have managed so well if he wasn't used to it, the act was assured, the moves perfectly in sync, he knew what he was doing. He wasn't exactly blaming Lou for doing what he did for a living, he wasn't one to judge, but it certainly wasn't putting Lou in such an innocent context anymore. So maybe all the rest Danny had said was true too, and the chestnut haired boy's attitude went in that direction: he was all over Mello, ready to accept anything, so very eager to be with him, and he knew everything about him too so the groupie gone vulture wasn't an impossible version for Lou's presence here.

"Matt."  
Fuck. The redhead could hardly ignore Mello now that he had called his name. He would have loved to, but he didn't want to play that kind of game. He rose his head and looked at the blond, who was apparently waiting for an answer to a question that Matt hadn't even heard to begin with, a box of chocolate already half eaten in front of him. Damn, Mello did eat a lot of those...  
"Still not over yesterday?" Mello smirked, making Matt want to throw his pastry at his face.  
"I'm not sure there is anything to get over with so I guess I am?" the redhead offered, never knowing exactly if Mello was teasing or genuine in his batardness. The guy could be pretty straightforward and not even realise that you couldn't say things like that straight away... It seemed there was no filter between his brain and his mouth.

"I'm sure you were the guy in the back of the classroom close to the heater." _Now_ Mello was teasing, popping a chocolate in his mouth.  
Matt was, back in high school, but it wasn't the point and he wasn't about to admit it aloud.  
"So, will the teacher repeat the question or do I have to stand in the corner?" Matt couldn't help retorting, but he regretted it right away when Mello's smirk turned to that expression that meant he liked where it was going and would push it his way even more.  
"I'm gonna spank you for not listening, bad boy."  
"Try and I'll suffocate you with your chocolates."

Matt didn't expect what came next, and it gave him a delay time that all but served him, as Mello jumped from his seat and ran around the table after him. The redhead jumped on his feet and sprinted to the main room, amusement taking over annoyance. All the boys started laughing and shouting, going after them not to miss a single second of the chase.  
Matt aimed for the main door, trying to escape outside, and he managed to go as far as the bushes decorating the courtyard before Mello lunged forward with a push on his legs, his arms encircling Matt's knees, making him lose his balance and land face first in said bushes.  
"OUCH!" Matt screamed, half laughing, feeling the branches scratch his face and arms, trying to prop himself up but unable to, Mello still holding his legs, fallen as well and laughing as hard as him.  
Quickly, Mello crawled upward, not letting Matt go, grabbed his waist and, standing up, he lifted the redhead over his shoulder, holding him with an arm, slapping his ass with his free hand.

"Let me go you asshole!" Matt was still laughing, even if he was pretty embarrassed at the moment.  
Mello walked back to the mansion, all boys clapping their hands at Mello's success.  
"I caught dinner guys!" the musician was trying to keep the wriggling redhead on his shoulder but it was more and more difficult, Matt trying to get back on his feet.  
Unable to hold him anymore, Mello threw him on the couch, and as he was about to say something more to tease Matt, he stopped cold and handed out his hand to him.  
"Come with me, I'll help you clean."

Matt stood still for a few seconds before he caught up with Mello's train of thought. That's true, he was slightly bleeding because of the scratches, but it wasn't bad by any means so he was a little taken aback.  
Anyway, he followed Mello upstairs in the bathroom and tried to take the item from the blond's hand as he approached with a damp cloth.  
"Let me do it."  
"I can take care of myself." Matt frowned, not really thrilled to let Mello touch him. He still had issues, and still found him attractive as hell, and even if he was more prepared than ever to the rockstar's trials at bedding him or any lies he could make up to get what he wanted - because there was no way that Mello had given up on the idea – he still felt the attraction, and right now Mello's expression was exactly why Matt couldn't resolve himself to leave the show, and this was precisely what could make him lose the little control he held on to tightly to stay in the run.  
"That was my fault, I should have waited a little more before catching you, you would have landed on the grass..."  
"It's okay. I'm not dying you know..." Matt chuckled, although he was more and more uncomfortable with Mello's concern. It didn't seem fake, but he had been fooled before so...  
Mello didn't add anything, dabbing the scratches carefully until he had removed all the blood.  
"That should do." he smiled, throwing the reddened towel in the laundry basket.  
"Thanks." Matt just wanted out of this bathroom and stood up, stopped in his steps to the door by Mello's hand grabbing his arm and pulling him backward.

The blond raised Matt's arm and deposited a soft peck of the lips on the scratches.  
"Let me at least kiss the harm away." he smiled... that smile that looked so genuine, but Matt knew better. He wouldn't fall for that.  
Mello suddenly, but gently, pushed him against the wall, capturing his face in his palms, and started to kiss the scratches on Matt's cheeks and nose.  
"Mello, stop that." Matt pushed him away firmly.  
"You don't like it? Or are you still mad at me?"

Matt looked at Mello puzzled. If he was playing, the guy was a fucking good actor because even knowing what he knew, Matt was starting to feel butterflies in his stomach, and that wasn't good. Especially since the blush spreading so fast he could feel it heat his face already was giving him away.  
"I'm not mad at you, or at least that doesn't matter. I just haven't changed my mind about not giving you what you want."  
"Not even a kiss?"  
"What you wouldn't do to get something from me... Mello, playing all concerned and caring won't get you anywhere with me, I won't fall for it. I almost did yesterday but if anything, you made me more aware of what an asshole you are, and less likely to fall into your little traps."  
"I'm not playing, I wasn't yesterday either." Mello's eyes hardened.  
"Oh come on! Would you have done all of that if that wasn't to sex me up?" Matt rolled his eyes. Mello sure had some nerve to try to make him believe something like that.  
"Of course not. But I wouldn't have done it for anyone else."

Mello didn't get what was so wrong with Matt. Damn, he was nicer to him than to anyone else, and he had done his best the night before so, okay, he could understand that his little, and too early, victory smirk hadn't been appreciated because it had kinda ruined the romance in Matt's eyes, but he hadn't done anything wrong, not once. He was even trying to be nice now, and still it wasn't enough!  
It wasn't playing to his eyes. Maybe he did use Matt's expectations,or what he thought they were, to his advantage, but once he had decided to comply with them, it was genuine, he didn't force himself, so what was the problem? It was no play, and no lie, really.

Matt, on his part, was still trying to analyse what Mello had just said. Half his brain, the romantic one, wanted to think that it was Mello's fucked up way to tell him he mattered somehow, while the other half was trying to hammer some sense in the nearby romantic part before it was too late.  
Reason somehow won the battle in the sense that Matt suddenly felt the need to have a real conversation with Mello. Things needed to be cleared up. Which wouldn't be easy since he still believed that Mello could lie anytime just to get his ways with him.

"Mello, can we talk, like, really seriously?"  
"About what?" Mello wasn't a talker. Conversations, reasoning, point of views, it was boring, and he liked action better. Not that he didn't have the brain to hold a conversation but damn, it was excruciatingly boring most of the time. But maybe he had a question or two for the redhead as well so...  
"About why you wouldn't have done it for anyone else, about the fact that you don't think it's playing me to give in the romance to get laid, and maybe another thing or two."  
"Where would it lead us?"  
"To understanding?"

Matt was someone who liked to understand what was happening, what other thought and where he was going, and he was realising now that he hadn't been totally honest with Danny during their conversation the previous night. He hadn't hidden anything at that moment, it was something he had just realised now but still, it changed things quite a lot on his part, to know that now.  
He was expecting something from Mello. Waiting to see was some kind of expectation, after all, but he could place it a bit more clearly now that he'd heard Mello somehow admit that he was going out of his ways for him. Danny was unsure about Mello's actions toward him, and because the man was the one that was supposed to know Mello the best, it was also a clue: if the one that gets you most of the time is confused, then there must be something. Mello might be changing, despite Danny saying that he never would.

Matt was shared between some impossible romantic idea that he could get Mello to change and realise that not everyone wanted to use him and so that he didn't have to use them back, and this attraction that prevented him to leave, trying to find a way to give in. And what was best than seeing Mello change for the best as a good reason to give in? Because he did want to get laid. Hell, each time Mello was too close, it was a hormonal nightmare for him...  
But he wasn't that type of guy, and he would regret it later if he said yes to Mello now, he knew it. Hopeless romantic...

But it wasn't with Danny that he wanted to talk right now, he didn't really care that the man had gotten a wrong idea of him. He wanted to see into Mello, to scrape the surface and try to find the strings to pull on to untie the asshole costume. Yes, the hopeless romantic was sure that there was probably, well, not gold, but something worth it at least, under that thick skin.

"Now?"  
Mello questioned him again, seeing as the redhead didn't reply right away.  
"Let's strike while the iron is hot."  
"Okay." Mello seemed to let go with regrets, and Matt was a little surprised when the blond stopped in his tracks to pull him back into his arms, "An honest conversation for a kiss."  
Matt shook his head in despair. "You never stop, don't you?" he chuckled.  
"You're the one that wants something now, so it's only fair. And I won't retaliate from the conversation."  
Matt knew that it was a direct attack to the fact that Mello had given him romance and hadn't had anything in return, but still, that was so fucked up. Mello's way of thinking was so fucked up.  
But... ah fuck, he couldn't decide what to do. He did want the conversation, and he did want the kiss. But he didn't want to encourage this behaviour.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Note:** Shorter chapter, but it's mainly conversation so longer would probably have been a bit too much talking :)_  
_This one will give a lot of answers, I hope I got their point of views consistent. Now that this part is done, there will be a lot more focus on situations._

_Thank you so much for the reviews, I got a bunch of them in the last hour, I can't reply individually to all of them but know that your help is amazing, and I'm really happy to be sharing this story with you, that means a lot to me to somehow know that I could stir specific feelings out of you through my chapters. And 'guest' is totally right, all writers need to write out of their comfort zone :)_  
_I owe my improvement to you all, and I can never be grateful enough with words, but the feeling is there for sure._

_I know I promised daily updates, but stuff happens and they may be delayed (although I will try to post two chapters the same day if I wasn't able to post the previous day), so if you want to be kept updated on everything that happens, delays, next posting times etc, please join my Facebook page, it's easier to stay in touch this way (and don't forget to check it since not all the updates show in feeds, thanks to Facebook's stupid selection.) The link is on my profile._

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"What about giving something for free for once, Mello?"

The blond frowned. He didn't like that. But now that his curiosity was picked by Matt's arguments, he wanted to have this conversation as well, just to see if it could be as entertaining as his previous talks with the guy...  
Exiting the bathroom, he walked downstairs and stopped, waiting for Matt to join him.  
"Guys, I'll be right back, finish breakfast, we won't be long!"  
He resumed walking, toward his apartments this time.  
The boys seemed pretty disappointed, seeing that Matt got favours they didn't get once again.  
Lou huffed. "I don't care, once he'll have gotten him, he will eliminate him and come back to me!"  
"Maybe he's all over Matt because he wasn't satisfied with you, _Cry Baby_, I didn't see him being really enthralled by your abilities since the one night you spent with him." Catwalk threw at him in a despising tone, the petite boy's lips starting to quiver already.  
"They won't have sex! He said they wouldn't be long. I'm at a good place to know how long it takes for that with Mello!" Lou stuck out his tongue at the model and went back to the kitchen.

Mello entered in his apartments, letting Matt follow him and close the door. He sat on one of the three small steps leading to the platform where his bed resided, inviting Matt to sit on the carpeted area beside him.  
"Fire up." he offered, wanting to see where the redhead was going.  
"Why are you trying so hard? With me I mean. I'm not stupid, I can see that you're favouring me in the challenges, that you're way more after me than the others, and you said it yourself, you wouldn't do as much for anyone else. So is it just that I'm the first one to resist you or is there something more?"

Mello didn't want to reply to that. His first reaction would be to give Matt a cold shower and erase all thoughts that he had something special, because that's what he did, what he was, the cold hearted bastard always mocking everyone. But Matt probably had something special indeed if the words that Mello was naturally bound to utter had died in his throat so easily right now.  
"You're one of the first to resist me, that's true."  
"Really? I take it that it means someone else resisted you before, so what did you do? Did you act the same with them as you act with me?"  
"No, but that's not the point."  
"I beg to differ, it's exactly the point."  
"I have no intention of telling you that."  
"You said you'd be honest."  
"You asked me to be, I never said I would. And I'm not being dishonest anyway, I'm just telling you that this is something I'll keep for myself."  
"Okay, fair enough... but you can get all the sex you want with Lou, and probably all the others too, so I take it that it's only for the challenge that you're trying so hard? You just can't stand to lose?"  
"I don't care for Lou."  
"You're not replying to my question."

Mello sighed. He wasn't exactly annoyed by the questioning, but he didn't know what to say. It was kind of a premiere, but his usual retort was lost somewhere in the back of his mind, and without that, all he could say felt a little too unsettling for him.  
"If you don't want to reply it's fine, but you told me you were more of the straightforward type of guy so I thought I would get answers, not get you confused, because that's the feeling I get from you right now..."  
"I'm not confused. But I don't want to make it sound like I care for you. You could take it the wrong way, with your tendency to be all romantic and stuff." Mello finally chuckled, releasing the tension. There. He hadn't said anything compromising, but he still gave an answer.  
"Heh, can't help it, that's the way I am." Matt smiled, "But since you don't care for Lou although he would provide you as much ass as you want, and you're after me although I don't give you anything, I can hardly believe it's just challenging you to try to get me. It sounds wrong. What if I never give you anything? You could be losing your time for nothing right now."  
"It doesn't feel like I'm losing my time, so I don't really care for that aspect of things."  
"So it's just entertainment for you, no matter if I end up in your bed or not?"  
"Yes, and no."  
"Talk about being straightforward! Yes, but no, and maybe? Can you be even less clear?" the redhead laughed.

Mello laughed as well, of course he wasn't making it clear. Matt's trials at having a conversation were forcing him to analyse his own behaviour, a thing that never happened with Danny, the only other whom he had that kind of conversations with.  
With his right hand man, it was always more of a scolding, and he would simply dig his heels in and dismiss anything he was said. He was impulsive, and having to think twice about what to say was not a habit of his.  
Maybe Matt was manipulating him, because it felt so easy to talk to him...

"I don't think you're exactly what you want us to believe. Sometimes I get tricked and I feel like you're just a sweet guy, and we had nice conversations, we even had some fun, but I hardly can decipher why you're here, I mean, there is no logic in what you do, why you stay. Of course I feel challenged when you tell me that you won't give me what I want, but the main reason why I push you past the boundaries that you're setting and try to break them, playing you as you say, is that I'm pretty sure you'll be exposing your real motives at some point."  
"Is that really what you think? Damn... I didn't expect anything like that to be honest, because I've never been taken for a manipulative or calculating person before... I don't even know what to say, I suppose that denying won't help in any way..."  
"There's still a part of me that wants to be wrong, but I don't think I am. That's the way people are."

Matt realised suddenly that they were both doing exactly the same thing. Damn, it wouldn't be easy to sort things out, it was even worse than he thought. Of course, he had now the beginning of an explanation, but if they were both trying to see through the other, expecting the good, but convinced that the final result would only be bad, then progress wouldn't come with a simple conversation.

"That's not the way I am. But these are only words and I can understand that it's difficult for you to believe me if you've never met anyone that wasn't here to use you. But the reason why I refused your money is because that simple act, giving me enough so I could sustain myself for months, just like that, out of the blue, I had a glimpse of what I want to see in you. I don't believe in all black or all white, I'm not perfect and I'm not a hundred per cent a good guy, but then I'm convinced that you're not a hundred percent a bad guy either."  
"So you're expecting something from me."  
"I am, but not like that. I'm not a savior and I'm not here to make you see that there are people that are genuine, and I'm not here to change you. You don't need a change, the good guy is already there and I strongly believe in that theory, and that's the only reason why I'm still here. Because I'm probably the only person here with whom you don't have to wear that attitude of yours all the time. I won't steal pictures of you in compromising situations, I won't repeat what you tell me, I will tell you when you hurt me or are being an asshole, I won't give you excuses for being that way just because you're Mello the rockstar, I will talk to you and have fun with you if you want to, and respect me, and I'm probably the most patient guy on this planet so you have all the time in the world to drop the façade, I don't expect you to do it right now out of a sudden enlightenment at my words."  
"That was quite the speech." Mello teased him.  
"You really can't help it." Matt pushed his shoulder, laughing. That was gonna be a hard nut to crack... but he thought he had gotten his point across pretty nicely.  
"So I should take your presence here as some kind of test dummy offering?"  
"I'm not sure I would have worded it like that but yeah, I guess."  
"Would you sign a contract about non disclosure of anything happening with you and me?"  
"You like your papers, don't you?"  
"My trust is very limited."  
"I'd say non existent." Matt chuckled, "But if that's what you want, no problem."

Something told Matt that Mello was losing his self protection and tried to parade it with said contract. If it made him feel safe, Matt would sign it, it wouldn't change anything on his part.

"What do you want in return? I mean, in the eventuality that what you see of me is good enough that you're feeling you were right."  
"I suppose that being right will be enough."  
Mello looked at him, puzzled.  
"I won't explain that to you, if you don't understand by yourself it just proves to me that there's a huge gap to cross between us, but I can only wait for you on the other side, at some point you'll have to decide if you stay on yours or dive head first without a life-belt."

For the first time, Matt saw indecision and real confusion in Mello's eyes. It did something to his heart.  
It felt like talking to a kid sometimes, because Mello had no clue about real life, no matter how much he thought that his life was real life. He was just stuck in a bubble and it wasn't even a good environment for him.

"To be honest, I didn't expect you to open up like that. I was pretty sure you would just make fun of me." Matt, smiled, standing up.  
Mello left the spot he was sat on to join Matt at the door. The boys were still waiting for them.  
"The contract is retroactive." he winked.  
"I haven't signed anything yet." Matt replied with a smirk, but he clearly saw a shadow of anxiety in the musician's eyes before the attitude was back.  
"Then I will have to spread dirty lies about you to discredit you." he poked Matt's chest, grinning.  
"Oh no! Please don't tell anyone that I have a fetish for guys dressed as an ostrich!" the redhead laughed out loud. He made fun of the situation, but he wasn't quite sure that Mello wouldn't do just that, should he fuck up.

Danny had said that he was here to protect Mello, but Matt had the feeling that even if Mello might trust him, Danny was by no means a safe anchor for him, more like a band-aid that covers the shit after it happens. He couldn't blame Danny, Mello was a lot to handle and he also loved his music career, so taking him out of this environment wasn't probably an option. It was the people around him that had to be different, or at least balance the suckers with a good amount of friends. Real ones.

Before opening the door, Matt turned around.  
"I didn't want to give you an incentive to convince you to have this conversation with me because that's not how things should work." he grabbed Mello's face between his palms, and kissed his lips softly, "But I still can give you a reward for doing so."

Mello stood still, glued to the ground, as he watched Matt leave his apartments.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Note:** Long chapter! I tried to complete the day in this one, because it takes me already more than two chapters for a day so I try to keep it altogether as much as I can. I'm afraid I'm heading for 30 chapters or more if I continue like this, when I had planned 15 -_-_

_Once again, thank you for the amazing reviews! *muah*!_

_I've got several PMs asking me this so I thought I'd put it here: the singing voice I imagined for Mello in this fic is something like Keith Buckley, The Damned Things version (not with his other band Every Time I Die at all, because it's really not the same XD )_

_Onto the... drama, aha!_

* * *

It took a few seconds for Mello to actually process what had just happened. Really, he wasn't sure it had been a good idea to reveal his inner thoughts to the redhead. Part of him had decided to go for it as some kind of trial, because if anything leaked out, he would know he couldn't trust Matt, but the guy hadn't even ticked when he had talked about the contract. He had looked like he would sign it without a second thought. But then again, that could be fake.  
It was still the most plausible scenario.  
Anyway, he would have the contract made ready quickly.

Part of him though was really, really piqued. It bothered him that Matt always seemed so genuine because Mello was sure he wasn't, at all. The guy was extremely good at this talking thing, poetic metaphors, well chosen words, always the right answer at the right moment, Mello had to be careful, because his first reaction was always, ALWAYS, to fall for it, and he had to remind himself constantly that it was just an act. Hell, he could do that too, he had even tricked Matt himself, so the redhead had probably also a little revenge to take on top of the rest.  
And if he was genuine, then... he would see. But it was unlikely. And yet... it was scary if he was, because caution would be hard to sustain. Oh well, if he was sincere there would be no reason to be cautious so there was no reason to be overthinking it right now.

The question in his mind now was mainly that Danny was someone that Mello trusted. Probably the one he trusted the most, if not the only one, and he had never felt prone to fall into long talks like he just did with Matt. Not that Danny never tried, but Mello never allowed himself to drop the mask completely anyway. He didn't know why since if there was someone he could have done that with, it was his right hand man. He cared for the man, he would never fail him, and he respected him, but... why then not have more consistent conversations with him?  
Hey, maybe he should try? Maybe that would be something he could use to understand Matt's actions?

He joined everyone in the kitchen, Matt preceding him of a few seconds.  
"Okay, I'm gonna spend time with all of you today, so just do what you usually do when you chill at home and I'll come to you for individual time, so I can get to know you better. Be yourselves, there is elimination tonight, so it's no use trying to look cooler or do things you don't usually do because I'll notice for sure."

Matt was a bit surprised that Mello had decided for a day at home, or maybe it was the production that was deciding for events, he wasn't sure actually. But it was so not Mello to his opinion, and he was starting to think that he had a good understanding of the musician's personality now. Maybe even more than the ones that were his fans.  
He would have imagined a more eventful day.

Do what he usually does. Well, that was an easy one for him at least.  
"Oh, you actually can read?" Mello said sarcastically to Catwalk when he came back from his room with a book and sat in an armchair to read, glasses on, "I like the glasses though, that's kind of sexy on you."  
Catwalk exulted, until Mello pulled the book from his hands to look at it.  
"I think sexy is ruined." he said with a grimace, throwing the book in the model's lap, "I can't believe someone brought fucking Twilight in here."  
Catwalk didn't have the heart to read after that, his heart sinking to his feet thinking that he'd just paved his path to elimination, and hoping very hard that someone would do something a lot more prohibitory than him so he could avoid getting kicked out tonight.

Matt fetched his Vita upstairs, and went back to the main room, making himself comfortable on one of the couches.  
He could hear Mello go from one boy to another, spending a few minutes with each of them, mostly uninterested by what they were doing. There were two or three more that were reading as well, but Mello didn't have nasty comments to utter about their books, and even ended up having a normal conversation with a guy named Charly, who wasn't the most cute of all although he was still handsome, with an obvious British accent, a mohawk and his hair dyed in navy blue. Landed here straight from Liverpool, Matt heard in the conversation.

His mum always made fun of him when he played and focused on something else in the meanwhile, saying that like any guy, he could never do two things at the same time, but somehow, some womanly instinct seemed to kick in when he was playing. It made him smile.

"What's making you smile?" Mello's voice whispered in his ear as Matt felt the seat lower under the singer's weight beside him.  
"Not gonna tell, you'll make fun of me." Matt muttered, focused on his game.  
"I'm almost disappointed to see you're playing with that thing again, I would've liked to know what you like to do in your spare time that isn't playing, but it seems that's all you do..." Mello sighed.  
"If it has to stay in the 'chill at home' area, then I'm afraid that's all you will see of me, indeed."  
"So you do have activities outside of your home. Tell me."  
Matt paused his game and looked at Mello, ready to find a smirk on his face, but there was none, just a small smile, a normal smile.  
"I love driving, cars, motorbikes, kartings, anything, and shoot."  
"Shoot?"  
"I often go to the local shooting range, I tried some archery too, and well, I was in the dart club of my town from when I was 8 to 14."  
"That explains all." Mello chuckled, understanding Matt's poor choice with his run the previous day, "I shall remember that." he winked. Matt wasn't sure if he should smile or worry with that last statement.

"I'll be back." Mello said, standing up for the couch to see what the boys he hadn't talked to yet were up to.  
Matt couldn't help but think that Mello wanting to get back to him when he obviously wouldn't be back to the others meant something. Better not get worked up though...

Mello went in the training room. With a house full of guys that mostly cared for their looks, it was a given that the production would have a room set especially for body workout.  
The brunette with the tribal tattoo was there along with another guy, and the least that could be said was that there was a lot of muscle involved in there.  
"Nothing special to be expected here I guess..." Mello barely stayed a minute looking at them. Too much muscle, too unnatural. Probably too many protein shakes in those bodies... that really wasn't his cup of tea.

Three boys were playing snooker, which was a lot more interesting. He played with them for a moment, chatted a bit, but there was nothing sexy in playing snooker and downing beers, especially since those guys were more used to do that in bars than at home.

That left him with only three boys to check up on.

Damn, did the production choose the guys according to their lameness or what?  
One was browsing through the pages of a catalogue, filling an order form, sprawled on his stomach on a bed.  
"Shopping?" Mello huffed, rolling his eyes.  
"I love to shop online! But we aren't allowed the internet here so I do what I can!" the guy complained, seeing that he had obviously lost points with Mello.  
"Laaaame..." Mello yawned, leaving the bedroom.

Lou was in the next room, stretching, bending and doing splits.  
"Getting ready for Moulin Rouge?" Mello smirked, resting his weight on the door frame, looking at the petite boy in motion, "I like that position, gives me some ideas..." he purred, although he knew he didn't need to with Lou, the boy was already his as he liked.  
Lou grinned as he saw Mello close the door and lean against it, beckoning him to come to him with a crooked finger.  
Mello slowly unlaced his leather pants and pushed the boy's shoulders downward, making him kneel. Grabbing a handful of hair, he guided him to his cock, sighing when Lou's mouth closed around his not yet erected member.  
He wasn't long to be hard though, closing his eyes and letting his head fall against the wood of the door as he pushed himself further in, hearing Lou cough a little as Mello pushed his head forward at the same time, trying to mouth-fuck him to the hilt. Uncaring for the choking sounds coming from the chestnut haired boy, he continued to thrust and maintain his head until he released deep down his throat.  
"Fuck Matt..."  
The words that escaped him made Lou retreat, falling on his butt in the process as he lost his balance, Mello letting go of him with the realisation that he had actually really said Matt's name.  
His look was hard as it fell on the boy, who was wiping cum with the back of his hand, anger in his eyes. There was no hurt in them, just anger.  
"MATT?! You were thinking of Matt while I was sucking you?! What did he do to you that I didn't do? I do everything you want and you call me by this moron's name?!"  
"Stop the drama, will you? I can think of whoever I want while I'm fucking you, that's none of your fucking business and you should be happy that I allowed you to suck me although you weren't the one I wanted, okay?"

Lou's tears rolled on his cheeks. It wasn't sadness, but pure disillusion, disappointment, and worry. He wanted Mello, but this stupid redhead was in his way and was apparently more important to Mello's eyes than him. He had thought that using sex was the one way to go to get what he wanted, but it obviously wasn't the case because Matt had never given in to Mello and yet, Lou wasn't Mello's favourite right now. Maybe playing shy or hard to get was actually the right way to go?  
He would have to rethink his strategy for sure... he really needed to get Mello, he couldn't even imagine losing the contest. Mello was the perfect boyfriend, he was handsome, famous, rich, the other guys at the club would be so jealous! And they would surely stop mocking him when he would come to the club holding Mello's arm and that the musician would sit at the best table to watch him dance. Yeah, they would envy him so much...

Drying his tears, he stood up and smiled.  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, of course you can do what you want, I was just surprised, but it's okay now." he hung himself to Mello's neck, trying to kiss him.  
"Get the fuck out of my face, I have no will to taste my own cum." Mello pushed him away firmly and exited the room. Damn, what a fucking mess up...  
Turning around, he gave one last look at Lou. "Repeat that and you're out of the show."  
He knew that it was enough for the petite boy to keep his mouth shut.

He made a stop in another room to see the only guy he hadn't seen yet, trying to focus on anything else than the words that had escaped him, and found him drawing.  
Wow, the guy was talented.  
"I'm actually a tattoo artist." he explained, showing Mello a few doodles, "I brought a folder with me if you want to see more."  
"Yeah, I'd like to." Mello really liked what he was looking at already. He browsed through the folder, nodding in approval.  
"Good job." he smiled before handing out the folder back to its owner, "What's your name again?"  
"Joshua."

Even knowing that Matt would never hear about the little incident, Mello felt a bit tensed when he went back in the main room. Yes, he had imagined Matt sucking him off, and had been a little too much into it, hence the fuck up, but it was all the redhead's fault. Mello was attracted to him, and the little kiss earlier hadn't helped at all.  
The kiss hadn't actually held anything sexual. If anything, it was tender. But it had made Mello want him even more, and who better than Lou for a little relief? Oh fuck, the boy should be happy to oblige, he wanted something from him right? He was lucky enough to get something, and if it wasn't for sex, Mello would have no interest in the petite stripper anyway. He had nothing against strippers, but he hated shoe-lickers and the way the boy had caught up with honeyed words his little tantrum was a proof of it. Hateful.

Letting himself fall beside Matt, he idly looked at the screen of his Vita for a moment.  
"Don't tell me that watching me play is the most interesting thing you've witnessed here." the redhead chuckled.  
"That's still pretty lame but at least it's nothing to do with sparkly vampires." Mello replied, raising his voice a bit on the last two words, teasing Catwalk.  
Matt couldn't refrain a laugh.  
"I wish I had all my games with me because I would have had one that you might have liked."  
"Oh?" Mello was curious.  
"Guitar Hero, or maybe Rocksmith too." he winked at the musician, who was obviously waiting for more explanations, "You have to play on a fake plastic guitar along a song and you get points each time you hit right, to make it short. Same goes with Rocksmith but you actually use real instruments."  
"DANNY!" Mello yelled, making Matt wince since he was just inches away from him.

The man appeared. Matt wondered if he was always hidden in the dark because he always came quite quickly.  
"I need you to get me something." he addressed Danny, "Matt, can you explain Danny what we need to play Rocksmith? I really want to see that." he grinned.  
Matt took a pen and paper from the coffee table and scribbled a few words, handing the little list out to Danny when he was finished.

It barely took half an hour for Danny to come back with the required items.  
"I'm afraid I won't be able to show off because I have no clue what I'm doing with a guitar." Matt snickered as Mello came back from his apartments with two instruments.  
"Who the fuck are Screaming Females?" Mello laughed, looking at the song list and pointing out the ones he knew, which were most of all.  
Everything was plugged on the TV fairly quickly and Matt selected something easy to start with, according to Mello.  
Or so he thought: "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden.  
"Just play the song, I suppose you know better than me." Matt had no clue what the song was, he knew the band, had heard a few songs, but telling which one it was was asking too much of him. He would be bad at any song anyway so it didn't make a difference to the slightest.

He didn't even play. He just gaped at Mello when the song started and Mello began to hit the right notes one after the other. Fuck, it was insanely sexy, Mello playing with his usual confidence, the leather, the guitar, the guy was in his element and it was an evidence.  
All the boys were gathered around them, and Matt realised that he wasn't the only one to be hot and bothered right now...

When the song ended, Mello had an almost perfect score.  
"Beat that." he winked at Matt.  
"I won't even try." the redhead laughed, the others applauding and whistling.  
"I thought you were more a player than me!"  
"I can admit when I don't stand a chance." Matt raised his hands in defeat, still laughing.

The other boys tried the game, and it was probably one of the rare moments when the competition stayed friendly.  
"I'm hungry." Mello stood up from the couch where he was sat looking at the guys playing and headed for the kitchen, "Care to join me?" he offered to Matt, who followed, along with some others.

"Fuck, there's nothing ready to heat in here." Mello scoffed, closing the door of the fridge.  
"What do you want to eat?" Matt asked, opening the fridge again, checking what was inside.  
"Anything as long as it's edible."  
Matt took a few ingredients out of the fridge under Mello's half mocking stare.  
"Don't tell me you can cook?"  
"I won't tell you." Matt chuckled, unfolding a ready-made crust in a pie tin, cutting a few vegetables quickly: tomatoes, onions, zucchinis... and dispersing them evenly in the tin before adding a mixture of flour, milk and eggs. He finished with grated cheese and put it in the oven.  
"That's the annoying part now: waiting." he sat beside Mello at the kitchen counter.  
"I'm impressed." Mello smiled, fetching two beers and handing one out to Matt, "You could have actually used that as a skill yesterday, although I don't want to imagine you putting food down your pants..."  
Matt laughed heartily.

They ate, making idle conversation, all the others gathering in the kitchen, some finishing the pie Matt had cooked while the others helped themselves in the cupboards.

The rest of the day passed quite uneventfully, the boys playing some more Rocksmith, Mello leaving at some point to seemingly think about the next elimination, but Matt understood at some point the real reason behind that day 'at home': Mello's back was killing him, and the more the day progressed, the less he was able to prevent himself from wincing when he moved.

Without surprise, the online shopping addict was eliminated, to Catwalk's relief.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Note: **OMG I have no idea how long this fic is going to be, but obviously long... And to think I wanted this to be a quick write before I go back to TSFMS XD  
This chapter was written in an hour, because I didn't want to miss the daily update, I just finished it and it's 10:42pm so please disregard any typo or grammar mistake, thank you ^^;;_

_I will be overly busy in the next days, at least until Friday next week, I'll try to keep up with daily updates but it's that time of the year when I get older and make my birthday trip to London, party with friends (and have to bake/cook a lot XD ) so it's a bit messy in my timetable right now ;)_  
_So don't be mad at me if I miss a day or two..._

_Thank you for the reviews! *makes a heart with her hands*_

* * *

**DAY FIVE – 10 contestants / 1 to be eliminated**

The elimination ceremony happening pretty early the previous day, since there had been no date involved before, and Mello nowhere to be seen after naming the latest abatement, most of the boys had gone to bed quite early, never knowing how long the night would be with Mello's fanfare wake up calls.

Matt himself was starting to feel the exhaustion of the latest events. Interacting so much with other people wasn't something he was used to, and never would he have thought that it would take so much out of him.

The downside of a night-owl sleeping this early was that now he felt more like an early bird, pushing the sheet off of him while stirring, having tried to get back to sleep for the last twenty minutes when he had seen the glowing 6am on the wall clock, but failing miserably. The blanket was long forgotten on the floor at the foot of the bed, the nights still being a sweaty nightmare, but he didn't bother making his bed and, picking up his stuff, he went to shower the Californian heat stickiness away.

At 6:30am, he was sat at the kitchen's counter, drinking his second cup of coffee, munching on leftovers of the previous day's breakfast, annoyed that he had left his Vita upstairs, but too lazy to go get it.  
He wasn't too pleased to see Lou's head poke out of the door frame a few minutes later. The boy was still in his pyjamas, hair tousled, eyes sleepy.  
"Hi." Lou said too casually to hide that he had something to ask.  
"Hi." Matt replied, ignoring the slight fiddling of the fingers on the cup on the other side of the counter. _Spit it_...  
He had wondered if he had awoken Lou, although he had been careful not to make too much noise, but the boy's presence had obviously nothing to do with a simple shortened night.  
"What did you guys talk about yesterday?" Lou fired right away.  
"A lot of things were said with a lot of people yesterday, be more specific." Matt, not really liking Lou's subtlety lacking ice-breaker.  
"In Mello's room."  
"That's none of your business." Matt didn't waste time being nice, "Do I ask you what you did yourself the first night in Mello's room? Seriously..."  
"Oh, but I would tell you, I have nothing to hide, unlike you apparently. He told me to undress, he asked me to suck him off, and he fucked me on the border of the bed, then on all four on the floor while pulling my hair, then he came on my face, and then he did all again _all night _ and-"  
"ACK! I don't want to know! Shut the fuck up!" Matt objected. That was more than he wanted to hear, and considering that he didn't want to know anything, it was really way too much and he wasn't sure he could get rid of the images in his head now.  
"Come on, I know you were dying to know... you're after him even more than me, always playing hard to get but really, you want him so badly that you spend all your time with him... don't tell me you're not after informations about what's happening with the others just so you have the upper hand!"  
"Oh, that's down to that, then? For your information, I'm not playing hard to get, I am _not_ playing for that matter. And I don't give a shit about what Mello does with you or anyone else, so you can keep your dirt for yourself."  
Matt stood up to deposit his cup in the dishwasher, and before he reached the door frame, he turned around.  
"I liked you better when you were a crying mess. This side of you now is pretty ugly."  
The trembling lip and teary eyes prevented him to leave the kitchen for good though.  
"I'm sorry..." Lou sniffled, "It's just... I want him so badly, but I just seem to do everything wrong... I don't want to be eliminated, I need to win this, I can't imagine leaving this show without him..."  
"I get that, I don't want to know your reasons but you have to consider this a possibility, that you get eliminated I mean... you cannot bet on the only option you deem valid for yourself because you'll fall from too high if that doesn't happen. Try to keep your feet on the ground, at least a little, okay?"  
"Okay..." the petite boy dried his tears with the back of his hand, and jumped from his seat, closing the distance between him and Matt to hug him.  
Matt hugged him back, not really knowing what else to do, but he eventually pushed him away gently just so he could end this embarrassing moment and leave the kitchen for good. If the boy wasn't bipolar, he was at least totally confused between his apparent weakness and sensitivity and a desire to win so strong that it turned him into a calculating nasty little bitch.

Matt, at that precise moment, felt all too much how insane this place, or the entertainment industry in its totality, were. Two faced people everywhere... The weaker, the more likely to fall prey to the easy way of lies, manipulations and backstabbing, it seemed. He almost felt bad for Lou, he looked like a lost child eyeing candy, ready to steal it if he couldn't pay for it by his own means. Get it the bad way, since there's no good way you can have it, sort of... why couldn't they just leave it where it was then?

Sighing, he lighted a cigarette and went outside to smoke it, hoping the air was at least a bit refreshing at this early hour. Plus he didn't want to go upstairs since he had seen Lou head back to their shared room.

No luck, the day was starting on a light breeze already too hot to be appreciable on the skin.  
Eyeing the pool, Matt decided to give it a go since he had nothing better to do, and hadn't swum for a few days now. He hadn't used a computer either and didn't really need a back relief, but it couldn't be bad to exercise a bit still.

He made a quick trip to the bedroom, finding Lou asleep again, slid in his bathsuit and went back downstairs. The water at least had a decent temperature, and he stopped after a few lengths, resting his arms on the border of the pool, enjoying being just at the right temperature for once.

"I could get used to the view."  
Mello's voice came from above him, and Matt took a few seconds to locate the singer leaning on his balcony. Matt didn't even know there was a balcony right there, he hadn't really paid attention since he had barely seen the back of the mansion until now. The banister was barely three feet above the back courtyard, since Mello's apartments were on ground level, and Matt could only guess that it was where the glass door in Mello's bedroom was leading, since it was located a few feet after the bed, and probably the same height as the platform it was on.  
"I'm surprised you didn't sneak on me already." Fuck. Why did he say that? Was he stupid or what? Matt would have drowned himself right now, when he saw Mello's smirk. Fuck fuck fuck.

Matt didn't really mind Mello's presence, it wasn't the problem. The problem was that he was in a bathsuit, and he was praying real hard right now that Mello wouldn't be, as he looked at the guy jump over the railing.  
"You're right, I have a much better view now." Mello chuckled as stood to the pool, unbuttoning his jeans and sliding in the water. But the fact that he wasn't in a bathsuit was of no relief to Matt. Because Mello actually wasn't in anything at all.

"Fuck that heat." Mello sighed, resting the back of his head against the tiles of the border, closing his eyes, a little too close for Matt's comfort.  
"As a guy from New York, I can only agree."  
"Ah, I knew it!" Mello exclaimed, reopening his eyes to look at the redhead.  
"Huh?" Matt wasn't so sure what it implied.  
"The accent. You've got that sexy New York accent, I just love it."  
"Thanks?" Matt offered, not really at ease. When Mello used anything that began with sex in a sentence, his warning diodes powered up immediately.

Silence fell between them for a few minutes, both enjoying the water, eyes closed, Matt trying to forget that Mello was very much naked beside him and that if he looked down, he could see a waving view of the whole package.

"You'd really be cute with darker hair."  
Matt started when he felt a hand in his damp hair. He opened his eyes and glared at Mello.  
"I'm kidding. It's not so bad in red." Mello laughed softly, still stroking the wet locks.  
"I only come in this color anyway." Matt tried to push Mello's hand away, but he found himself trapped between the tiles and Mello's chest, each of the musician's arms on his sides.  
"I should've known it would come to this..." Matt sighed, annoyed that his body reacted already. Damn hormones.  
"I didn't do anything yet."  
"Keep on doing just that, then."  
"I thought you'd be happy to see me cross the water and reach your side." Mello teased him, his words a reminder of Matt's the day before.  
"That's my dick you're reaching right now. Stop it Mello!" Matt pushed the hand that was trying to grope him under water, "You're impossible."  
"I was just fooling around." Mello withdrew, to Matt's surprise. It had been too easy. But he wouldn't complain, because a little more and Mello would probably have had a much bigger area to grope...

"What do you have against redheads anyway?" Matt asked, curious, after another silence. Weirdly enough, silence wasn't unbearable, Mello not offended to the slightest by the rejection, simply resuming enjoying the pool. It almost felt like Matt was getting used to it.  
"Personal tastes I guess. You probably have your own." Mello shrugged.  
"I'm almost disappointed that there's no drama behind this." Matt chuckled.  
"Call me a drama queen while you're at it." Mello laughed out loud. He wasn't mad at Matt, he was just so used to hear Danny call him that...  
"I don't like hairy guys."  
"Who likes hairy guys anyway?"  
They both laughed, Matt resuming swimming for a while after that. Mello simply watched at him.

Danny entered Mello's room, hearing no response. Mello could be a heavy sleeper so it wouldn't be the first time that he'd had to shake him awake. But his boss was nowhere in sight so he checked all the rooms of the suite, which didn't take long since there was only a bathroom and a small office that Mello had mainly filled with instruments and a laptop. Heading to the balcony, he heard voices coming from outside and glanced quickly over the banister, spotting both boys. He stopped cold at Mello's expression, as he was watching the redhead swim. He had no idea how much progress these two had made, but the fondness in Mello's eyes was certainly something new. Danny was almost shocked.  
He'd have to talk to him anyway, and considering the topic of the upcoming discussion, Mello wasn't close to liking it, Danny could tell in advance from what he was seeing right now.

He went back inside to reach the backdoor, and approached the pool.  
"Mello." he simply said, "I have a message from the production." He waited patiently for Mello to come out of the water, but the blond didn't make a move.  
"Yeah?" Mello made a little hand sign to invite Danny to talk.  
"I'm not sure this is the best place to be talking about that."  
"Danny, just spit it out."  
Danny pulled a face. With Matt around, he felt a bit uncomfortable to say what he had to say.  
"Danny, say it or leave, I'm busy as you can see."  
Danny crouched next to the border where Mello was leaning, trying to keep his voice down as he spoke: "The producers think you spend too much time with Matt, and the footage isn't diversified enough for the montage. You really have to spend more time with the others. They specifically asked that you spend time with Lou too, because his airing time scored well, audience-wise."  
"I don't give a fuck what they say."  
"Well, actually, you should. The record company just bought parts of the show."  
"Sneaky bastards." Mello growled.

Matt was surprised by the anger in Mello's eyes all of a sudden. That was something he hadn't seen yet, and it was rather unsettling.  
"I'll leave now." he said, hopping off the pool. He should have left as soon as Danny had said he wanted to talk to Mello anyway.  
"Why do they have to ruin it all?" he heard Mello rage in his back, "They can't control my music career as they like so they try to take control this way? FUCK THEM!"  
"Mello..." Danny knew that it would end up in a fit of anger. This was a sensitive topic for Mello. He had enough fame and power to dictate the rules in his music career, and that included his contract with the music company he was signed with. No matter how much they had tried to make the band take a more pop direction, Mello had never given in, and had always been faithful to himself, music-wise. He wouldn't write and sing shit just so they could make more money. They already did a bunch, but those sharks never had enough. But they were too afraid to see him leave for another record label to oppose his choices. So many were ready to welcome him with open arms that they would never take such a risk.  
But by buying parts of the show, a temporary show, they could pressure him. If he didn't comply with certain requirements from the production, they could stop the show anytime if the audience rates scored too low. And if it happened after he had refused to cooperate, he would be held responsible and would have to compensate the losses since his music contract stated that any activities he was involved in that also involved the record label were bound to that specific clause. Which could very well ruin him.

It infuriated him that he was cornered and had to comply.  
Storming out of the water, totally uncaring that he was naked, he jumped back over the banister, leaving a wet track behind him in his suite as he went to fetch a towel in the bathroom.

Matt had heard everything. Mello had shouted loud enough that it had crossed the distance between the pool and the front door, where he had been heading.


End file.
